


Beating Swords into Plowshares

by gwyllion



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, quinnipiac university
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-29
Updated: 2014-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-10 12:50:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1159941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwyllion/pseuds/gwyllion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur Pendragon was trained to be a leader from birth, but when a freak snowstorm strands several Albion University students on campus with no way to get home, his mettle is tested.  With Christmas only two days away, the students in his charge must work together to survive the elements and make the best of their holiday away from their families.  Fortunately, he meets a charming snowplow driver who teaches him to lead with his heart instead of his head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beating Swords into Plowshares

**Author's Note:**

  * For [piinx](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=piinx).



> Prepare to be glomped, piinx! When I was offered your prompt as a pinch hitter, I jumped at the chance to write this fic for you. I hope I incorporated many of your wonderful ideas into a fic that you enjoy. Happy glomp-fest!  
> The blizzard in this fic is based on the 2013 winter storm “Nemo" which dropped a record 40 inches of snow on Hamden, Connecticut. With hurricane-force winds, the blizzard left hundreds of thousands of people without power and forced all transportation to a standstill for a number of days. Hamden, Connecticut is home to Quinnipiac University, on which I based Albion University, and where my son attends school.  
> Thanks to my cheerleading, beta-ing, fangirling friends gilli_ann and lawgoddess who keep me in line.  
> All photos used to illustrate this fic are from Quinnipiac University’s Facebook album [Quinnipiac finds Nemo](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151298696829423.470809.6318219422&type=3) individual credits for the photos can be found there. A more image-heavy version of this fic resides on my LJ [here](http://gwylliondream.livejournal.com/75769.html).

Arthur watched the snow fall in big fat flakes. A chilly breeze rattled the window, making him shiver. The sophomore dormitory at Albion University stood four stories tall, and he lorded over each floor. From his private apartment on the topmost level of Lancaster Commons, he had a bird’s eye view of the courtyard as his fellow students came and went in sunshine, rain, or in the wintry snow like that which fell today. With Christmas in two days, the steady stream of departing students had diminished as the morning dragged on. At this late morning hour, on the day after finals ended, Arthur doubted there were many students left behind. Winter holidays lured them to their homes like butterflies migrating to warmer climes. At least a butterfly would have the sense to do so before it snowed.

Located in the countryside, far east of the city, the university’s polished brick buildings with pristine white pillars and balustrades emerged from a landscape of green forest and lush fields, except when they were covered in snow. The polished brickwork decorated the interior of the lowest story of the dormitory, with its hulking fireplace taking up an entire wall of the common area. Beyond the fireplace lay the laundry facilities, a fully equipped kitchen, and a half-dozen rooms for private study when the noise of roommates became too much for the most studious of Albion’s scholars. A spiraling oak stairway, a dozen feet wide, rose at the opposite side of the common room from the fireplace. It wound its way upward from the marble-tiled floor to the dormitories where the girls made their home, and to the men’s quarters above. Beyond that, lay Arthur’s solitary realm.

As the son of the university’s most generous benefactor, Arthur wasn’t surprised when he was named a Resident Assistant for the sophomore class. Uther made it clear that he believed the position would prepare Arthur for when he took the reins of Pendragon LLC after he graduated with his business degree.

Leadership had always come naturally to Arthur, so he didn’t mind proving himself to his father by this means. His main task involved keeping the students in his charge from drinking too much. If he had to break up the occasional fistfight or had to give a pat on the shoulder to a failing student before he left the school for good, Arthur handled it with the same aplomb that he had displayed from birth. A Pendragon was expected to behave admirably, even under the worst of circumstances.

From his lofty viewpoint, Arthur could sometimes see the distant lights of the nearest town. If the sky was clear enough, he could imagine the camaraderie shared over pizza or burgers at one of the town’s simple restaurants. Not that Arthur would know what such friendship was like. He went strictly by the book when it came to overseeing the students in his charge. When he wasn’t in class, he studied. When he wasn’t studying, he made sure the residents of Lancaster Commons were obeying the rules. When he wasn’t doing that, he slept.

Arthur’s breath fogged the window as he awaited a sign of Morgana’s arrival. Since he saw her nearly every day, he’d surely recognize her gait, despite the vertical distance to the courtyard and the heavily falling snow. He’d imagine her in her UGGs, striding carelessly through the white fluff, the flounce of cashmere as she’d rearrange her scarf with a flourish. But each visitor who arrived at Lancaster Commons left arm-in-arm with their friend or relation as they collected them for the long journey home for Christmas break.

Morgana was running late, as usual.

Arthur took his cellphone from his pocket and checked the time just as a text arrived from Morgana.

Lvng now - U ready?

Arthur tapped the call key and didn’t wait for Morgana to answer. “My bag has been packed for two days,” he said. “Of course I’m ready.” He tried to not let his voice show his impatience as it tripped into the cellphone and bounced across the cell tower to arrive at the senior dormitory a half mile away. “When will you be here?”

“I’m nearly done,” Morgana said. “I just need to print out the biology syllabus for next semester, and I’ll be ready to go.”

Arthur sighed. After living with Morgana for so many years, he had learned to avoid commenting on Morgana’s numerous excuses about why she’d be late. If he complained, she’d feel obligated to argue with him, making both of them even later than usual.

“It’ll be your head if we don’t make it to Camelot for cocktails,” he reminded her.

“Dear brother, “Morgana said, “it’s not like you to be so anxious about spending time with Uther.”

“I’m not anxious,” Arthur said. “I simply believe that we shouldn’t disappoint him if we can avoid it.”

“You _would_ believe that,” Morgana said. “It must be so difficult to be the heir to the Pendragon fortune. You have none of the fun that I do.”

“You might not get a free ride on your tuition if we don’t get to Camelot on time,” Arthur said. “And you might have to switch from Grey Goose to Gordon’s for your martini, unless you meet me at the shuttle stop in ten minutes.”

Arthur smiled when he heard Morgana laugh. He may have been born two years after Morgana, but he knew how to put her in her place.

“Oh the horror!” Morgana squealed. “Okay, I’m hurrying!”

“I’m going to make one last check of the place and I’ll head outside. I’ll see you down at the shuttle,” Arthur said.

“Okay, ten minutes, I promise,” Morgana said, ending the call.

Arthur didn’t believe her.

Stepping back from the window, Arthur double-checked to make sure he had unplugged his Keurig machine and his printer. He tapped the outside pocket of his duffle to make sure he had his cellphone charger. He supposed he could kill a few minutes by making one final sweep of the dormitories below to ensure no stragglers remained when the university was locked up for winter break.

Beneath Arthur, the men’s dormitory housed eighty sophomores in twenty rooms that each held every possessions that four guys could conceivably cram into a single twenty-by-twenty foot space. Sophomore move-in day had seen the lofted beds configured into an array of space-saving arrangements that would facilitate an X-Box, a wide-screen television, a futon, and several refrigerators that, to Arthur’s dismay, would each hold their share of illegally procured beer before the semester ended.

A similar arrangement of females populated the second story, where the refrigerated beverage of choice changed from beer to wine. The girls’ RA, Annis from Caerleon, faced the same challenges as Arthur did in the boys’ dorm. Albion’s upperclassmen, like his sister Morgana, resided halfway across campus in the posh York Hill dormitory where the residents preferred imported rum or an expensive vodka over the cheap beer and wine that served its purpose for the younger classmates.

Shouldering his duffel, Arthur zipped his coat so the collar fit snug around his neck. He hoped that the storm would blow out to sea, instead of wreaking havoc with his holiday plans to return home. Stepping outside and closing the door, he turned and rattled the doorknob one last time to make certain it was locked. The shuttle would get Morgana and him to the train station in a half hour if the traffic was light. A two hour train trip would deliver them to Camelot, where Uther would send a car to collect them. Arthur made a mental note to check to make sure the trains were running on time before he and Morgana boarded the shuttle.

He descended the stairs to the men’s floor, his feet quiet on the oak steps. The long corridor was empty, save for a couple empty pizza boxes that had been left outside Room 308. He knocked on the door, ready to reprimand the residents for littering the halls, but as Arthur suspected, there was no answer. Only the hum of the overhead lighting broke the silence in the stark hallway.

After a moment, Arthur reluctantly stooped to pick the boxes up from the floor. He’d have to remember to report the infraction when he returned from Christmas break. Tossing the empty boxes into the trash bin at the end of the hall, Arthur opened the door to the stairway and descended to the girls’ floor. Like most of the students, Annis had left for home the night before. Arthur had agreed to check the girls’ rooms, a favor Annis would repay if Arthur ever ventured off campus himself, however unlikely an event that would be.

Opening the door to the girls’ floor, Arthur heard the noise before he turned the corner from the stairwell – a rattling sound like someone was trying to break into a dorm room. Arthur quietly peered around the corner. His eyes grew wide when he saw the curly-haired teenager.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Arthur asked, stepping into the hall.

“I could ask you the same thing,” the stranger said, turning his attention back to the locked door.

Arthur snorted at such insolence. He strode down the hallway and pressed his hand against the door.

“Show me your identification,” Arthur said, leaning into the guy’s space. “Now.”

Arthur couldn’t help but notice the teen’s brilliant blue eyes. He looked familiar to Arthur – probably a jock from of one of the sports teams that so often graced the cover of the school newspaper. The intruder licked his lips distractingly as he searched his pockets for his identification. Arthur cleared his throat and averted his eyes from the teen’s rose-colored lips and thick unruly locks. It would do no good for Arthur to set his imagination free. He was in university to study, not to cave into the desires that had plagued him for years. He shifted his gaze to the intruder’s backpack where he spied a bottle of Captain Morgan peeking through the mesh of an outer pocket. Arthur wrapped his fingers around the bottle’s neck and pulled it free. “And you can explain this to both Annis and the Dean of Students when they get back from break.”

“I was just trying to drop off a present for Kara,” the kid said, dangling the lanyard that held his ID card in front of Arthur’s face.

“Mordred,” Arthur said, reading the name off the ID. “You’re a freshman. You have no business in the sophomore dorms,” Arthur said, flicking the ID back toward Mordred.

“There’s no need to be a jerk about it,” Mordred said.

“If you’ve got somewhere to go, you’d better leave now. The shuttles won’t be running past noon today and you won’t want to be stranded here,” Arthur said. He was convinced that looking out for the welfare of young Mordred was a noble calling, but like so many of the students Arthur looked after, Mordred could not have cared less.

The freshman threw his hands in the air and retreated toward the stairwell. “Merry fucking Christmas to you too,” Mordred said, slamming the door open and trotting down the stairs.

Arthur walked to the end of the hallway and watched Mordred as he left through the main entrance, one floor below. “Good riddance,” he muttered under his breath.

When he was sure there were no stray students lurking on the floor, Arthur set the bottle of rum on the windowsill and checked his cellphone. Ten minutes had passed. Surely Morgana was waiting for him at the shuttle stop by now.

Grabbing the bottle, Arthur descended the stairs to the bottom floor of the dormitory. The dim emergency lights illuminated the stairwell with an eerie yellow glow. In the common room, the television blared with the latest weather advisory. The Christmas lights that the students had used to decorate the railing to the upper floor had been unplugged for the last time. He’d have to make sure they were removed when the students returned in January. Between the Captain Morgan, the empty pizza boxes, and the Christmas lights, Arthur’s mental list of thing to do was getting longer by the minute.

Arthur picked up the remote control that lay on one of the sofas. He clicked from channel to channel on the television and watched the screen change while he called Morgana again on her cellphone. His eyes were drawn to the screen where the storm was the lead story not only for the meteorologists, but for the newscasters as well. The coastline residents expected severe flooding from the storm as it came in from the Atlantic. Flights had been cancelled already and the rail lines were expected to be jammed with holiday travelers. Further inland, the towns surrounding Albion University were braced for the brunt of the storm. Motorists were urged to stay off the roads, where the snow removal equipment was not expected to keep up with the snowfall.

Morgana didn’t answer Arthur’s call.

After silencing the television, Arthur donned his gloves and braced himself against the wind that took his breath when he stepped into the courtyard. Outside, the snow continued to fall, coating the railing of the bridge like icing on a cake. He could barely follow Mordred’s tracks, although the freshman had only left a few minutes earlier. Plodding through the foot-deep snow that covered the walkway from Lancaster Commons to the bus stop, Arthur cursed Morgana for not picking up her cellphone. He smelled the diesel exhaust from the shuttle bus as it accelerated and pulled away from the curb.

“Wait!” Arthur shouted as he skidded down the walkway. The snow obscured his vision so much that he could barely see the wooden planks of the bridge that led to the shuttle. He waved in the direction of the bus, hoping the driver would stop. His feet slid on the ice underfoot, sending him sprawling face-first into the snow. The bottle flew out of his hand, landing unharmed in the snow with a whuff. Before Arthur could stand and brush himself off, the bus drove out of sight, the red tail lights barely visible through the storm.

“Fuck it all,” he said, descending to the shuttle stop, catching himself from skidding out of control. The next bus wasn’t due for another fifteen minutes.

Arthur tromped into the bus shelter just as he felt his cellphone vibrate. “You’re an evil witch,” Arthur answered into his cellphone.

“That’s a bit extreme, dear brother, don’t you think?” Morgana said.

“No. It’s your fault we’ve missed this bus. It’s all over the news, there’s a huge storm coming,” Arthur said. “The next bus will show up in fifteen minutes. Can you make it to that one?”

“I’ll try, Arthur,” Morgana said.

Arthur heard the concern in her voice and immediately knew he’d not likely see Morgana anytime soon.

“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked.

Morgana stumbled over her words. “It’s Sophia.”

Arthur tried to make sense of the silence on the line. The windswept snow made it hard to understand. “Sophia who? What about her?” he asked.

“Sophia whose been dating Cenred since freshman year. He just dumped her,” Morgana said. “She planned to go home with him over break, but he gave her the _it’s not you, it’s me_ right before they were supposed to leave this morning and now she has nowhere to go.”

“What about her parents? Can she get back home to them?” Arthur asked.

“No,” Morgana replied in obvious distress. “They went to Greece for the holiday and they’re not expecting Sophia home.”

“There must be something she can do,” Arthur said.

“No one deserves to be alone on Christmas,” Morgana said.

“There’s nothing we can do about it!” Arthur said, exasperated.

He listened for Morgana’s reply, but he could swear he only heard the sound of sobbing and retching on the other end of the line.

“Morgana! Morgana!” he shouted, trying to get his sister’s attention.

“Yes, Arthur, I know I’m supposed to meet you, but I can’t very well leave her alone in her room,” Morgana said.

“Yes, I know,” Arthur said, bucking up. “Hang tight. I’ll be there in a few. I’ll think of something.”

“Arthur?” Morgana cried.

“I’ll catch the next shuttle to York Hill. I’ll meet you there,” he said, silently cursing himself for trying to do the right thing.

“Okay,” Morgana replied. “Thanks, Arthur. I take back every evil thought I’ve ever had about you.”

Arthur ended the call and pocketed his cellphone. The next shuttle bus would be on its way in no time.

Except it wasn’t.

Arthur grew increasingly impatient as he waited for the shuttle. Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen. Then twenty. He could have walked to York Hill in less time. He flexed his fingers around the neck of the bottle of rum, trying to restore some circulation.

“Morgana will pay for this,” he said aloud. Giving up on the shuttle, he tugged his duffle closer to his side and stomped through the snow in the direction of Morgana’s dorm.

The wind bit at Arthur’s cheeks and made him wish he had remembered to wear a scarf. He never thought he’d be standing outside in the cold for this long. The tiny streets that connected the student dorms with the classroom buildings were covered in windswept snow. No students were in sight as Arthur trudged across the campus, although it was hard to see through the falling flakes. The sound of the howling wind was pierced only by the chirping warning beep of a snowplow as it drove in reverse.

Arthur was sure that all his fellow students were at home with a hot drink in their hand by now, basking in the warmth of the familial glow of Christmas. Despite Arthur’s yearning for warmth, Uther never got into the holiday spirit. He spent most of last Christmas locked away in his office working on a business deal with a foreign marketer who only recognized Christmas as the last Wednesday of the calendar year. Morgana and Arthur ended up mixing rum into their eggnog until Uther finally emerged, handed them each a gift card, and retreated to his office again. So much for the holiday spirit.

At least Arthur had Morgana’s company to enjoy. Ever since she joined the Pendragon household at the age of eight, Arthur had latched onto her as his constant companion, no matter how differently they had been raised. Arthur envied Morgana’s exuberance. She’d often try to tease him into doing something fun and reckless, like stealing the housekeeper’s eyeglasses, or putting salt in the cook’s sugar-bowl. But Arthur would always manage to catch himself at the last minute before he gave in to Morgana’s whims. He was a Pendragon. It was his job to behave with honor, no matter that he was only a little boy.

Born from Uther’s past relationship with Vivienne, Morgana had no trouble locating her father after her mother’s untimely death. Uther had deposited money in her bank account for nearly a year before Morgana’s Aunt Morgause let on that Morgana’s father might be interested in meeting her. Uther was kind enough to young Morgana, but when Morgause suddenly died of a heart attack, Uther welcomed Morgana into his family permanently. It was then that she and Arthur became both siblings and allies.

Arthur plodded through the snow, determined to convince Morgana that they had to leave immediately if there was any hope of making it to Camelot before dark. Since the sidewalks were covered in snow, he was forced to walk in the road where the snowplow had made the way somewhat passable. No blacktop was visible and Arthur’s feet slipped on the ice that hid beneath the newly fallen snow. The unseen icy patches threatened like sharks whose white teeth snapped at his ankles in an effort to take him down.

When Arthur heard the snowplow approaching him from behind, he walked as far to the edge of the road as he could. The truck passed him on the left pushing a spray of snow Arthur’s way as the plow’s blade carved a clear path through the snow on the road. After the snowplow circled around to make another pass of the road, it stopped some twenty yards behind Arthur. Arthur was relieved to have some bare blacktop to walk on. He continued to walk at the edge of the road, barely noticing the _beep, beep, beep_ of the plow’s hazard warning as it backed up toward him.

“Down on your luck, friend?” the driver of the plow shouted through the open window of the truck cab.

Arthur wasn’t sure he heard him correctly over the howling wind and the idling engine of the truck.

“What? Arthur asked.

Only when the driver motioned as if he were chugging from a bottle did Arthur realize that he still clutched the bottle of rum in his hand.

“Oh, this!” Arthur said, embarrassed. “It’s not mine.”

“I bet all the students say that, yeah?” the driver said with a grin, his brilliant blue eyes sparkling when he smiled. 

Arthur tilted his head back and laughed when he realized how ridiculous he must have sounded. With his luck, the plow driver would report him to the campus police.

“Where are you headed?” the driver asked. “Everything’s all locked up for the break.”

Arthur adjusted the strap of his duffle as it dug into his shoulder. “My sister was supposed to meet me at the shuttle stop outside of Lancaster, but she had an emergency at York Hill. I’m heading there to help her.”

“York Hill,” the driver said. “I don’t think you’ll be seeing the shuttle again. The university is suspending operations early because of the storm.”

Arthur shook his head. “I’m Arthur Pendragon, the sophomore RA. I think I’d know if the university closed early.”

“Suit yourself, Mr. RA,” the driver said. “You can wait for the next shuttle or you can walk to York Hill. But if you put your bottle away, there’s also a third option.” The driver raised his eyebrows and tilted his head toward the passenger’s seat.

Arthur considered the offer. Riding in a snowplow wasn’t specifically forbidden in the university rulebook, but he was certain that the plow company didn’t encourage its drivers to pick up students, no matter what the weather. But Morgana was in need, and the driver offered. What could possibly go wrong?

“Thanks, I think I’ll take you up on that,” Arthur said. He climbed into the cab, dragging his duffle onto his lap. Unzipping the largest compartment, he stuffed the bottle inside. The driver adjusted the height of the plow, his long slim fingers turning knobs and flipping levers beneath the dashboard. He was dressed for the weather, in a brown jacket with a long red scarf that he had wrapped around his neck. He wore the ugliest hat that Arthur had ever seen, a striped monstrosity with a giant pompom at the top.

“I can’t believe they’d tell you that the university was closing early before telling me… _Mer_ lin,” Arthur said, reading the name embroidered onto the plow driver’s jacket.

“Believe what you want,” Merlin said. “My uncle just radioed and told me not to bother plowing the university roads until after the snow has stopped. He says all university operations were suspended, beginning at eleven.”

“And your uncle has a hotline to the university’s operators?” Arthur scoffed. He fished his cellphone out of his pocket and checked the time. It was 11:05. Damn Morgana for making them miss what was probably the last shuttle to the train station.

“My Uncle Gaius owns Kilgharrah Towing and Snow Removal,” Merlin said. “He’s got the contract with Albion University. He’d know if they called off his services. It’s his business. There’s plenty of money to be made plowing other parking lots where people might appreciate our services today. Since the university is closed for break, we can come back and plow here whenever we have time.”

Arthur truly appreciated the ride, but he silently seethed that he was left in the dark when the university officials decided to close early. What if students were left behind? With this storm approaching, they could be without power or food for days. The sophomores were his responsibility, one that he didn’t take lightly.

“Merlin, you there?” a voice crackled through the old-fashioned walkie-talkie Merlin wore attached to his belt.

Merlin grabbed the device, pressed the button on the handset, and held it to his mouth. 

“Yeah, Will. I’m finishing up at Albion. Where are you?” Merlin asked.

Arthur listened to _Will_. “I’m over in the office park. Folks are trying to leave work early to beat the storm.”

“Too late for that,” Merlin said. “You need a hand over there?”

“That’s why I called. I got Gaius’s message about the university closing. If you get help me out, we can get to Ealdor sooner.”

“No problem, Will. Give me a half hour,” Merlin said.

“Sounds good,” Will replied.

Arthur didn’t bother to wonder who Will was, or where this Ealdor destination lay, although he was certain that it was warmer and more hospitable than the university at the moment. The plow scraped the road ahead of Merlin’s truck, clearing a path that would fill in with fresh snow almost as quickly as it was plowed clear. Arthur could barely see a thing out the windshield, although Merlin kept the wiper blades going full speed. Merlin’s eyesight must have been better than Arthur’s because Arthur only felt the truck come to a halt when Merlin spotted three girls walking through the heavily falling snow near Hanover House, the freshman dormitory.

Merlin rolled down his window and shouted to the girls, “Mithian! What are you doing out in this weather?”

The girls, led by the one called _Mithian,_ approached the truck. “Merlin!” Mithian said, slapping Merlin’s door with her mitted hands. “We’re stuck here!”

“I can see that,” Merlin laughed. “I was just talking to your ex. Do you have a ride coming?”

Mithian’s cheeks glowed rosily from the cold. “I was supposed to get a ride with Vivian’s Dad, but he got stuck in traffic on I-84.”

“Which one of you is Vivian?” Merlin asked.

“I am,” the girl with a beanie pulled down to her eyes answered shyly, her blonde hair peeking out beneath the brim of her hat.

“Does your dad drive a plow?” Merlin asked.

“Of course not,” Vivian answered. “He’s got four-wheel-drive, but he only made it halfway here. I told him to go back home and try again after the snow stops. We were giving Elena a ride too, so now we’re all stuck here until tomorrow at least.”

“It’s a Cadillac Escalade, if you must know,” Elena said snootily. “I doubt Vivian’s dad could afford to send her to Albion U if he was the lowly driver of a snow plow.”

Merlin shook his head and turned to Arthur. “Are all freshmen girls like this?”

“I’m afraid so,” Arthur said. Then, putting some command in his voice, “Girls, you need to get back inside. You shouldn’t be out walking around in the storm. It’s dangerous.”

“We only came out to see how hard the snow was falling,” Mithian said.

“Yes, we’re heading back now anyway,” Elena said, tugging Mithian’s arm.

“All right, then,” Merlin said. “You girls stay safe and warm or I’ll send Will over here to help you out.”

The girls turned back toward their dorm, but not before Mithian clumped a snowball in her hands and pitched it at Merlin’s truck. Fortunately, it missed the open window and hit the door instead, shattering in a spray of white fluff. Merlin shifted gears and the truck lurched forward once again, the sparks flying up from the blade when it scraped the road.

“My best friend, Will, dated Mithian at the beginning of the semester,” Merlin said.

Arthur could not have been less interested in Merlin’s story of Will and Mithian’s love life, but he asked to be polite. “They don’t date anymore?”

“No, she friend-zoned him when she found out he only went to the Community College,” Merlin said.

“She ditched him because of that? Pretentious little snob!” Arthur said.

“It wouldn’t be the first time Will failed miserably when he tried dating out of his league,” Merlin said. “It happens.”

Arthur nodded as if he understood, despite his aversion to dating. He doubted that he’d ever be comfortable with the baring of souls that lovers sometimes engaged in. Arthur was much too reserved to consider such an endeavor, although Morgana seemed to have no trouble bringing home the occasional stray man for Uther’s disapproval.

The plow pushed a wall of snow against a large snowbank that had grown to a height over Arthur’s head. Merlin jostled the gearshift lever into position and the truck came to a halt outside of the York Hill dormitory.

“Here we are, your majesty,” Merlin said.

“Right,” Arthur laughed. Before he knew it, Merlin had hopped out of the truck. A rush of cold air gusted in through the open door.

“I think I’d better check on your sister in case you two need help,” Merlin said before he shut the door.

Arthur had to admit it was a good idea. Perhaps Merlin could plow their way to the town where Morgana and he might find a way to the train station so they could make it back to Camelot before nightfall. It was worth a try.

Arthur grabbed his duffle and trudged through the snow to the York Hill dorm entrance. The red brickwork stood in stark contrast to the snow-covered walkway and the white pillars that lined the front of the building. Merlin followed along, walking in Arthur’s footprints through the deep snow. Arthur hesitated for a moment at the door. Then, despite the fact that Merlin technically was not allowed inside the school buildings, Arthur held the door open for him.

They stepped inside and Arthur blurted out the first thing that came to mind, “Where did all these people come from?”

“Arthur, I’m so glad you came,” Morgana rose from the plush sofa where a teary-eyed Sophia dabbed her nose with a tissue. Another girl, who Arthur didn’t recognize, had an arm wrapped around Sophia’s shoulder. A tall guy with curly red hair flipped through the channels of the flatscreen—the news of the day focused on the storm. On the sofa opposite the television, a dark-haired girl frantically scrolled on her iPhone. The lights of the York Hill Christmas tree twinkled in the dim common room.

“You didn’t give me another alternative,” Arthur said. He hugged Morgana warmly, despite his annoyance with her. “I’ll call father and see if he can push back dinner another hour.”

“And Merlin!” Morgana said, stepping back from Arthur’s embrace and skimming her palms over Merlin’s upper arms. “It was so kind of you to bring Arthur to me. I saw the lights of your truck when you came up the driveway.”

“You two know each other?” Arthur said, a bit surprised that his sister would socialize with a menial laborer. He quickly thumb-texted Uther. It was easier to disappoint his father with a text than with a phone call.

“Oh, yes,” Morgana said. “Merlin helped me assemble my portfolio for my photography class. He has an eye for photogenic beauty. Don’t let his mad truck-driving skills fool you.”

Morgana laughed at her own joke, while Merlin gave her a quirky smile.

Arthur looked Merlin up and down. He found it hard to believe that they scrawny fellow was useful for anything—except maybe giving rides to stranded students. He raised a questioning eyebrow at his cheerful chauffeur.

“I teach a photography class at the Community College,” Merlin said shyly. “It’s not a real college class though – it’s an enrichment class for adults who want to learn more about photography.”

“You should see his website, his work is brilliant,” Morgana said, her eyes gleaming as she looked at Merlin. “That’s why I asked him to help me with my portfolio for professor Balinor’s art class. I’d never have aced that course if not for Merlin.”

Arthur finished sending his text. Clearly, there was more to this Merlin guy than he could put his finger on. “I’m thrilled to hear it, Morgana. At least you’re good at something,” he said, nodding to Merlin. “But why are these other people here? Everyone was supposed to be off campus by noon.”

“It’s not noon yet,” Morgana said, taking Arthur’s cellphone from his hand to check the time.

“No, but according to Merlin, the university has closed early. He’s not expected to continue plowing here because he’s needed elsewhere. We have to get out now – all of us,” Arthur said, motioning to the gathering of students in the York Hill common room.

“There’s a big accident on I-84,” the redhead shouted from his perch in front of the television.

Arthur retrieved his cellphone from Morgana’s hand and pocketed it again. “That won’t help matters,” Arthur said, leaving Morgana to gush over Merlin. He walked toward the television where he could get more information about the storm. “How bad is it?”

“The news says there are fifty to a hundred cars involved. They’re advising everyone to stay off the roads,” the redhead said. “You’re Morgana’s brother?”

“Arthur,” Arthur said holding out his hand to maintain some semblance of decorum.

“I’m Leon. I stayed late to make up a final I missed when I was down with the flu last week. But now it looks like I’m stuck here,” Leon said, giving Arthur’s knuckles a light punch.

“You live at York Hill?” Arthur asked.

“No,” Leon said. “I’m a junior. I live over at Tudor Village. I’m sure I was the only one left there when I submitted my final. Dorms are all locked up. When the shuttle didn’t show up on time, I walked over here because I saw the lights were on. I was hoping to get to the train station, but now it looks like I’ll have to call a cab.”

Arthur felt his phone buzz with an incoming text. He was certain Uther could wait, so he didn’t bother to pull the phone from his pocket. He was vaguely aware of Merlin’s walkie-talkie going off with more bad news from Will, he supposed. The girl on the sofa continued to speak to Sophia in soothing tones. Morgana admired the way the Christmas lights that adorned each window illuminated the snow in a kaleidoscope of color.

“We need to get to the train station as well,” Arthur said. “The plow driver… Merlin… he may be able to take a few of us into town where we can—”

“It’s no use,” the dark-haired girl approached them with her cellphone in hand. “My brother just texted. He’s a state trooper with Barracks A in Middleton. He says he expects the highway to close and for the governor to declare a ‘state of emergency.’”

Arthur sighed. He scratched at the nape of his neck, the snow-dampened hair drying enough to itch in the warmth of York Hill common room.

“I’m Gwen, by the way,” Gwen said, taking Arthur’s hand.

“Gwen, I’m Arthur,” Arthur said. Her hand was warm against Arthur’s, which was still chilled from the cold ride in Merlin’s truck.

“I’m Leon. Arthur is Morgana’s brother. Are you a senior, as well?” Leon asked.

“Yes,” Gwen said. “My finals were finished but I stayed behind to work my shift at The Isle of Avalon. I’m a business major and they make all the seniors intern at the store so they can get some hands-on experience.”

“And did you have a way to get home?” Arthur asked.

“I was relying on my brother, but Elyan didn’t expect the university to close early and now he’ll be tied up with work until the storm ends,” Gwen said. “If I could get to town, I could probably make my way home from there.”

“I understand,” Arthur said. If only they could all get from the university to the town, perhaps the local buses were still running. Maybe he and Morgana could get to the train station after all – with some help from Morgana’s friend, Merlin.

“As much as I’d hate to miss the Christmas run-up, I wouldn’t be missing much, since there’s just the two of us, my brother and I,” Gwen said. “Elyan is single, so he’s working Christmas Day to give a day off to another officer who has young kids.”

“I don’t have much to celebrate, myself,” Leon said, his eyes scanning the weather coverage that splashed across every station on the television.

“Merlin,” Arthur walked back to where Merlin and Morgana had joined Sophia and her friend on the sofa. “Could I have a word with you?”

“Arthur, I don’t think you’ve met Freya yet,” Morgana introduced the girl Arthur didn’t know. “She was Sophia’s roommate for junior year.”

“I called my mother,” Freya said. “She said Sophia can spend the holidays with us.”

Sophia gave Arthur a weak smile when Freya stroked her hair.

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Arthur. At least a few people were assured of having a happy holiday. “And is your mother on her way here?”

“She’s in traffic on I-84,” Freya said, “but she’ll be here soon enough.”

“That’s where Mithian’s dad is stuck,” Merlin said, his eyes meeting Arthur’s.

“And where there’s a huge pile-up,” Arthur said.

“Will radioed me to say they’ve closed the highway,” Merlin said, getting to his feet.

“Elyan says we should stay put,” Gwen said, joining the conversation.

“We’re all stranded here,” Leon said.

“Let’s remain calm,” Arthur said, raising his palm in the air. “We can’t change the circumstances that keep us here. We need to focus on what things we can do. That’s the only way we’ll get through this unscathed. Take deep breaths. Watch the television to see what’s happening off-campus, and text your loved ones to let them know you’re safe.” He motioned for Merlin to meet him by the window that looked onto the York Hill courtyard. The snow had deepened by another few inches while they were inside.

“What do you have in mind?” Merlin asked.

“Merlin, is there any way your snowplow can get us to town?” Arthur asked. “It seems like most people will be able to get home if they can reach the train station – or at the very least, if they can reach the main road through town once they leave university property.”

Merlin nodded at Arthur, his blue eyes bright with understanding. “I could take a couple people at a time. It may take a few trips, but best to do it now before we’re entirely snowbound here.”

“Okay, I’ll let them know,” Arthur said, clasping Merlin’s shoulder. “You’re a good man.”

“I’ll go warm up the truck,” Merlin said.

Arthur’s eyes followed Merlin as he walked to the door. He clapped his hands together and said, “Now, if I may have everyone’s attention—”

Just then, two men carrying hockey sticks and enormous vinyl bags of sports gear burst into the room, bringing with them a flood of cold air from outside.

“Oh, man, are we glad to see you!” the scruffier of the two shouted as they both stomped the snow off their feet, dropped their bags, and rubbed their hands together to get warm.

“We’ve been wandering around for an hour looking for someone to help us,” the taller man said.

“Come on in and close the door behind you,” Morgana said as she rushed toward them. “You both look like you’re half-frozen.

“I told you we should have come here first,” the scruffy man said to his friend. 

“Wait, the campus is closed,” Arthur said. “Why are you here?”

The scruffy guy turned to Morgana, peeled off his gloves, and introduced himself, “I’m Gwaine and this is Percy. We got dropped off here by the shuttle a half hour ago, but our car is buried in the parking lot.”

“We’ve tried digging it out, but we have no shovels and we don’t want to ruin our sticks,” Percy said.

“But where did you come from?” Arthur asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“The hospital,” Percy said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“The hospital?” asked Merlin.

“We had a game here last night,” Gwaine said.

“The Knights versus the Raptors,” Freya said, jumping up. “I was there, cheering in the student section of the arena!”

“The Knights won 4-3,” Sophia said sullenly, without leaving her position on the sofa.

“But, you don’t play for the Knights, do you?” Gwen asked, laying a finger across her lips.

Percy looked at his own feet. “No, we’re on the Raptors.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here, now,” Arthur said.

“Listen, friend,” Gwaine said. “Percy here took a check into the boards near the start of the third period. Got a nasty concussion.”

“Oh my God! I saw that happen. There was blood everywhere,” Morgana said, getting to her feet. “Are you all right?”

“Feeling better now,” Percy said. “Got an egg on my head though and a few stitches to show for it.”

Percy leaned down and removed his cap so Morgana could see his bandaged injury.

“He spent the night in the hospital under observation,” Gwaine said. “The coach sent me to stay with him. He gave me the keys to his Mercedes while he rode the team bus back to Bridgeport. This morning, the doctor came in and said that Percy is free to go. We rode a bus back here and it’s a white-out. We can’t get the coach’s car dug out.”

“Where is the car?” Merlin asked.

“It’s over in the sports complex parking lot. We must have walked a mile to get here in the snow,” Gwaine said.

“You’re the first people we’ve seen,” Percy said.

Merlin turned to Arthur. “If I can get them plowed out, maybe they can help bring the rest of these people to town.”

“It would require fewer trips,” Arthur said.

“Exactly,” Merlin said. “Let me go warm up the truck.” He rapped his knuckles on Arthur’s bicep before heading out the door that Gwaine and Percy had just entered.

Arthur smiled fondly at Merlin as he walked away. He wondered why he had never met the intriguing plow driver on campus before. He and Morgana certainly seemed to have made fast friends. He hoped Merlin would be able to plow their way out of their snowy confinement. Although the holidays spent with Uther were usually nothing to cheer about, some of the stranded students had family members who would be devastated by their absence. Arthur felt guilty for thinking he might rather spend the day holed up on campus than with his overbearing father. He quickly tamped down the thought and took charge of the situation at hand.

“When you two get warmed up, you’ll be the first to go with Merlin. If he gets your car plowed out, you’ll follow him back here to pick up the others,” Arthur said, while Percy and Gwaine listened attentively. “Gwen, Freya, and Sophia can ride with you to town. Leon and Morgana will come with me. We’ll manage to fit into the truck somehow—”

“Except for one problem,” Merlin said, entering the common room again. “The truck won’t start.”

* * * 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Arthur said, turning toward the door where Merlin stood looking apologetic and a bit worried. The snow swirled around Merlin’s feet where the wind snuck through the doorframe to circle his boots with snow.

“Maybe we’ll be stranded here, after all,” Morgana said.

Arthur shuddered to think of how hopeful Morgana sounded at the prospect of not spending Christmas with Uther. It would be just like her to hope Merlin’s truck couldn’t be fixed. She seemed to lack the guilt that Arthur felt for thinking the same thing.

The girls looked resigned to their fate. Arthur watched Sophia plead for Freya to join her on the sofa again.

“Do you know what’s wrong with the truck?” Arthur asked, turning to Merlin. “Can it be fixed?”

Merlin shook his head. “I looked under the hood, but I don’t know. I’m no mechanic… it’s been running fine all day. Maybe it’s the battery?”

“Well can you go try to figure out what’s wrong so it can be fixed, instead of leaving us here to freeze to death?” Arthur asked, waving his hands in the air.

“Arthur!” Gwen said, tugging on Arthur’s arm. “There’s a blizzard outside. You can’t very well expect Merlin to work on the truck in this kind of weather.”

“She’s right,” Gwaine jumped in. “He can’t be expected to work out there alone. I know bit about cars. I’ll give you a hand.”

Merlin smiled hopefully.

“I’ll wait here,” Percy said.

“That’s probably for the best, in your condition,” Leon said, patting Percy’s shoulder.

Gwaine donned his gloves again and headed for the door, but Arthur stopped him, having a better idea. “That’s all well and good, and I appreciate your help,” Arthur said to Gwaine, before addressing Merlin. “But what about your friend, Will? Can’t he help us? Maybe _his_ plow can get us out of here?”

Arthur didn’t mean to sound so demanding, but clearly someone needed to take the reins before this storm situation got any more chaotic. He was quite accustomed to taking charge when the circumstances warranted it. His father had always demanded that Arthur react swiftly and judiciously, without any concern for whose feelings might get hurt. It was a lesson that had been drilled into Arthur’s mind.

“I can get Will on the walkie-talkie,” Merlin said, nodding to Gwaine. “I was supposed to help him out, but I’m sure he’ll come to help us if I ask him.”

Arthur was relieved. Maybe they’d get to Camelot tonight after all. “I’m glad to see that we’re thinking more rationally now,” Arthur said.

Merlin took the walkie-talkie from its clip on his belt and called for assistance.

“Will? You there?” Merlin asked.

Gwaine leaned against the doorframe, ready to leave with Merlin, if necessary.

A long time passed before Will answered. “Yeah, Merlin? I’m a little tied up now.”

“What’s going on?” Merlin asked.

“I started heading toward the university when I finished here. I wasn’t sure why you hadn’t shown up. Then I got caught on the main drag with all these cars off the road,” Will said.

“Where are you now?” Merlin asked.

“I barely made it out of the office park, when… why don’t these fucking people stay off the roads when the weather is like this?” Will said.

“My thoughts exactly,” Merlin said.

Static crackled over the airways.

“I don’t think we’re going to make it home to Ealdor tonight,” Will said.

“That’s all right,” Merlin said with a sigh. “My mother would rather have me get there in one piece, than not at all.”

Arthur took a step backwards. He heard the hurt in Merlin’s voice. Arthur felt like he was eavesdropping on a private conversation. He watched Merlin’s Adam’s apple bob up and down as he spoke. He immediately regretted forcing Merlin to call his friend in front of the rest of the stranded students. He had to remember that most people had a loving family to spend time with for the holidays. Not everyone had Uther Pendragon for a parent.

Merlin’s sadness made Arthur want to rush to him, to comfort him and tell him everything would be all right. It wasn’t Merlin’s fault he didn’t know how to fix the truck. He was a simple laborer who helped people and who befriended Morgana when she needed photography advice. He couldn’t be expected to solve every problem that the weather threw at them.

“Okay,” Merlin said. “Tomorrow then.”

“Christmas is the day after tomorrow. Are we really stranded here?” Sophia asked, her voice tiny and scared.

“It seems so,” Morgana said, flopping onto the sofa with the two girls.

“I’m so sorry,” Sophia said. “Arthur… this is all my fault. If it weren’t for my break-up with Cenred, you’d be home by now. You all would be home with your families. I’m so sorry for behaving like a child.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Arthur said, but his words sounded ridiculous even to his own ears. He had tried with all his might to not let Sophia know how irritated this whole situation had made him, but in the end he failed. The windows draped in white and the glittering lights on the York Hill common room Christmas tree reminded him that winter was a time to be cheerful. 

Arthur went to the sofa and knelt on the plush carpeting. Taking Sophia’s hands in his, he held her eyes and assured her. “We’re going to make the best of it, but I need your help.”

“How so?” Sophia asked, a blush creeping over her cheeks as her hands warmed in Arthur’s.

“Keep your chin up,” Arthur said. “This storm would have come, no matter what happened between you and Cenred. We should all be grateful that we can communicate with our loved ones, and that we know they’re not in danger.”

“And they know we’re not in danger here,” Sophia added.

“That’s right,” Arthur said. “And you have my assurance that I am going to do my best to get us out of here.” 

“We have every confidence in you,” Morgana said, leaving over to kiss Arthur on the cheek.

“I appreciate that, Morgana,” Arthur said, sincerely.

Outside the wind buffeted the building, making the windows shudder with the force of the storm. The falling snow seemed to darken the sky. The sun’s warm rays were like a dream that ended yesterday, and that wouldn’t be seen anytime soon.

“It’s getting cold,” Gwen said, crossing her arms to ward off the chill. She walked to the window and watched the snow get blown into drifts.

“I wish York Hill had a fireplace like they do in Lancaster Commons,” Leon said, joining Gwen at the window. “It would warm us up.”

“I just remembered something,” Gwen said. “The university’s heating system is controlled automatically, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Leon said. “The heat won’t come on until the temperature gets just low enough that the pipes won’t freeze. The university saves money by not heating the place during the breaks when no one is here.”

“You mean we’re stuck here without any heat?” Freya asked.

Their complaints gave Arthur an idea, but he’d need Merlin’s cooperation. He extracted his hands from Sophia’s and got to his feet. “Hang tight,” he said. He patted her hands gently, stood up and walked to Merlin.

“Look,” Arthur said, tugging on the braid that ran from an earflap of Merlin’s hat, “I didn’t mean to get down on you about the truck.” He hoped Merlin believed him.

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck, his ridiculous hat shifting from side to side with his dark hair. “I know,” he said. “We’re all under a bit of stress because of the weather.”

“You’ve already done more than could be expected to help us,” Arthur said. He hoped that Merlin would continue to help them. He might, if Arthur didn’t fuck everything up first with his demands.

“I wish I knew what was wrong with the truck,” Merlin said. “I checked what I could but—”

“It’s all right,” Arthur said, clasping Merlin’s shoulder. “I have an idea.”

“What’s that?” Merlin asked.

“I’m the RA at Lancaster commons—”

“You’ve already reminded me of that,” Merlin said.

“Wait, just listen,” Arthur said. He was tempted to hold a finger to Merlin’s plush lips to keep him from interrupting, but he restrained himself. “Lancaster Commons is the closest dormitory to the main road. If Will comes to help, and we were at Lancaster, he wouldn’t have to travel that far onto the campus complex before he reached you… before he reached all of us… if we stayed there.”

“But what about the—”

“Not only that,” Arthur said. “But Lancaster has a fireplace… if we lose power in the storm, at least we’ll be warm.”

“I shouldn’t leave the truck,” Merlin said. “My uncle won’t like it.”

“If we go to Lancaster, I don’t think you should stay behind,” Arthur said.

“I’ve slept in the truck before. I’ll be okay,” Merlin said.

“Merlin! I’m not going to let you sleep in the truck during a blizzard,” Arthur said. “And your uncle wouldn’t allow such a thing either—no one who cared about you would.”

Merlin looked at the floor, his dark lashes fluttering with indecision.

“You can get him on the walkie-talkie, yeah?” Arthur said.

“I suppose I could,” Merlin said.

“Merlin,” Arthur said, cupping Merlin’s cheek in his palm. “Call your uncle and explain what we are doing. He’ll be glad to know that you’re safe.”

Merlin’s eyes met Arthur’s and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

“You’re coming with us. Call him,” Arthur said before turning away.

Leaving Merlin to call Gaius on the walkie-talkie, Arthur strode to the center of the room.

“I need to have everyone’s attention,” Arthur said, his voice drowning out the news from the television.

Gwen and Leon turned toward Arthur. Sophia clung to Freya. Gwaine looked relieved that he didn’t have to make a decision for himself and Percy. Morgana sat up straight.

“As Leon has pointed out, this storm is going to get much worse before it’s over,” Arthur said.

Whispers about _Christmas_ rose from the girls on the sofa.

“We are stuck here on campus, but we are far from alone,” Arthur continued. “I cannot promise that we’ll all be in our own homes for Christmas, but I can promise that we will be safe and warm.”

“How will we stay warm when the heat is scheduled to be shut off?” Leon asked.

“We’ll freeze here,” Gwen said. “It’s so cold already.”

Arthur rose his hand to quiet them both. “Merlin plowed a path from Lancaster Commons to here, less than an hour ago. The road is still snow-covered, but the snow is not as deep as it would be on the roads that haven’t yet been plowed,” Arthur said.

“You want us to walk there?” Gwaine asked. “Percy and I have been walking all over this campus today. We’re beat, man.”

“You won’t find anything there at the other dorm, that’s not here in this one,” Percy said. “Snow, snow, and more snow.”

Arthur turned his head to watch the snow fall outside the window. If they were going to walk back to Lancaster Commons, they had better do it soon, before the road became impassable.

“At Lancaster Commons, there is a large fireplace in the common room. There’s a good supply of firewood and we’ll be able to light the fire to stay warm. York Hill has no such alternate means of heating the building, so I believe we should make our way there,” Arthur said.

He was pleased when the majority of the stranded students seemed to be nodding in agreement.

“We will also have the advantage of being close to the university entrance, so when help does arrive, as I’m certain it will, we will be nearer to the town and the train station,” Arthur said, noticing that Merlin had finished his conversation with Gaius on the walkie-talkie. Merlin walked to Arthur and stood behind him, making Arthur wonder if he might have more news. “Our rescuers won’t have far to travel to meet us, and we won’t have far to travel to reach our intended destinations. Now, if you’re coming with me, let’s get ready to go.”

A small cheer went up from the crowd. Soon people began rising from their seats to gather their belongings that had been left around the room. 

“We also need to find Mithian and her friends,” Merlin said, when Arthur was finished speaking.

“Yes, I haven’t forgotten about them,” Arthur said.

“When we walk back to Lancaster, we can stop at Hanover House and see if they’ll go with us,” Merlin said.

Arthur smiled. “You spoke to your uncle?”

“Yes, and also to Will,” Merlin said. “I’m afraid the storm has only gotten worse while we’ve been here. The governor has declared a “state of emergency.” He’s ordered all vehicles off the roads. Only necessary emergency workers are supposed to be driving at all.”

“Like police and fire rescue vehicles?” Arthur asked, although he already knew the answer Merlin would give him.

“We won’t be stuck for long,” Merlin said. “I know Will will come to get us. He says they’ve closed the highway, but he’ll get through as soon as he can.”

“He’s a good friend,” Arthur said.

“I think everyone is ready,” Morgana said. “We all had our bags packed to go home for break anyway.”

“Bundle up, everyone,” Arthur said, as he grabbed his duffle and led the group out the door.

* * * 

Arthur stopped at Merlin’s truck and waited for him to gather the few things that he would need to spend the night away from it, if necessary. It was the least he could do, since he had convinced Merlin to join them in their quest for heat and for a gathering place closer to the university exit. In some ways, Arthur felt more responsible for the man who was not an Albion U student, than he did for the students in his care. Merlin was under no obligation to follow Arthur. Arthur didn’t want him to regret doing so.

Arthur sent Leon ahead with the group of vagabonds. They wouldn’t get too far ahead. The snow had drifted into the path made by Merlin’s plow, so they followed in each other’s footsteps to make their journey easier.

Arthur stood by and watched Merlin shove things into a small backpack: a spare shirt, an extra knit hat – just as hideous as the one he wore, and his camera bag.

“I wouldn’t mind taking some photographs of the snow,” Merlin said, happily.

“You’re the expert,” Arthur said, “according to Morgana, at least.”

“I’d like to show you my work someday,” Merlin said. “You might be surprised by the quality of the photographs, considering they weren’t taken by someone with a million-dollar college education.”

“Whoa, that’s a low blow,” Arthur said, unable to stop a laugh from escaping.

Merlin closed the truck door and faced Arthur, looking smug. “I’ve got everything,” he said. “Shall we try to catch up with the rest of them?”

“Follow me,” Arthur said. “And try to not get lost.”

“As if I could,” Merlin said. “There’s only the others’ tracks to walk in.”

Arthur led the way, following Leon’s path through the snow. Sometimes, the waves of wind-driven snow relented. When they did, Arthur could occasionally catch a glimpse of the line of students ahead of him. But for the most part, visibility was very low.

“This was a good idea,” Merlin said from behind him, “heading back to Lancaster.”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Arthur turned his head so Merlin could hear him over the howl of the wind.

“The storm will get worse, according to the weather report. It was a good decision to go to a safer place before it becomes impossible,” Merlin said. “I can see why they put you in charge.”

“Why, Merlin… I’ll take that as a compliment,” Arthur said.

“Just don’t let it go to your already enormous head,” Merlin said.

“Too late,” Arthur said. “The next thing you know, you’ll be applying to Albion – wait! Shh…. What is that sound?”

_“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?” In the lane, snow is glistening…_

Arthur stopped in his tracks and listened. Merlin caught up and stood beside him, stopping to see what the fuss was all about. Arthur watched the frozen puffs of Merlin’s breath while he panted into the cold air. 

Then, Arthur heard it again.

_“A beautiful sight… we’re happy tonight… walking in a winter wonderland…_

“Singing?”

“They’re singing?” Merlin asked.

“Listen,” Arthur said, stopping Merlin with a gloved hand against his chest. “They’re singing Christmas carols.”

“That’s amazing,” Merlin said.

“I don’t know if it’s amazing or not, but at least it means they’re in a good mood. I doubt they’d be singing if they were freezing to death,” Arthur said.

Merlin quirked an eyebrow at him. “I think they’re enjoying themselves, despite their situation,” Merlin said. “It’s a shame their leader doesn’t share in their enthusiasm.”

“What—”

Merlin snuck past Arthur and ran ahead, following in the tracks the group left behind.

Arthur shook his head and leaned down to scoop a ball of snow from the path. In one motion, he compacted the snow and hurled it at Merlin. The snowball exploded in a white cloud when it hit Merlin squarely in the back. Merlin didn’t bother to look behind him, but kept running through the snow until he reached Morgana at the back of the line of travelers.

“Merlin! Where have you been?” Morgana cried.

“Back here with your prat brother,” Merlin said, just as Arthur caught up.

“Come on Arthur, don’t be such a drag,” Morgana said. “We’re singing Christmas carols. We’ve been singing since we left York Hill.”

“That’s great, Morgana,” Arthur said. “Whatever you can do to keep warm.”

Somewhere near the head of the line, a chorus of _Jingle Bells_ broke out.

“Sing along with us,” Morgana said linking arms with Merlin and Arthur. She dragged them along, the snow flying up from her boots as she sang with the others.

 _”Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!_ Morgana let go of their arms and ran ahead to join Sophia and Freya.

“Don’t forget,” Arthur said when he found himself next to Merlin again, “we need to stop at the freshman dorms to see if Mithian and her friends want to join us.”

Merlin nodded. “I was thinking about them as well.”

“It will be safer if we’re all together,” Arthur said.

“Let’s get your sister in on the plan,” Merlin said.

“Hey, Morgana!” Arthur called. “Wait up!”

Morgana stopped when she heard Arthur yell.

“Hey, we ran into a few freshmen girls when we were on our way to York Hill,” Arthur said, out of breath from running to catch her. “Can you tell Leon that we want to stop at Hanover House and convince them to come to Lancaster?”

“Yes!” Morgana said. “We can serenade them with Christmas carols! They’ll be sure to join us then.”

With that, she jogged ahead shouting for Leon to stop at the entrance to Hanover House. Arthur could barely keep up with her, she ran so fast along the trodden snow that eased their way.

When the line of students finally came to a stop, Arthur was glad to see that the lights were on in the Hanover House common room. The crowd of carolers trudged through the deep snow that covered the path to the dorm entrance. The girls were almost visible inside, through the frosted windows. Their shadows moved against the windows as they tried to stay warm.

“ _Grandma got run over by a reindeer_ was always my favorite,” Gwaine said.

“Yes! Let’s do it,” shouted Sophia.

Arthur was pleased to see that Sophia’s mood had improved since leaving York Hill. He had never suffered from a break-up like she did earlier that day, but he could imagine her sorrow. It seemed that she had taken his advice to keep a positive attitude. Arthur hoped her high spirits would only rub off on the other straggling students who roamed the abandoned campus.

Outside, in the blowing snow, Percy gripped the door handle to Hanover House’s entrance.

Gwen giggled so loudly that the girls inside probably first heard her laughter before Percy threw open the door.

“One, two, three,” yelled Gwaine.

 _“Grandma got run over by a reindeer,”_ they sang.

_“Walking home from our house Christmas Eve…”_

“Hey, Arthur,” Merlin said, rapping Arthur on the shoulder.

 _“You can say there’s no such thing as Santa,”_ Arthur sang. “Yeah, what is it, Merlin?”

“I’m going to stay outside and take a few pictures while the light is still good, yeah?” Merlin said.

“No problem,” Arthur said. “Hurry up, though. We should stay together.”

 _“But as for me and Grandpa, we believe!”_ the carolers sang.

“Oh my goodness,” cried Mithian as she and her friends burst into applause. “We didn’t think we’d see anyone here today.”

“Never mind that,” Elena said. “Where have you been all my life?” With that, she rushed into Gwaine’s arms and kissed him soundly on the lips.

Arthur watched while her fingers threaded through Gwaine’s luscious locks. He had never seen a man with such shiny long tresses.

“Mistletoe,” Morgana whispered into Arthur’s ear, raising her eyes to the sprig of berries that hung above the doorway.

Arthur shrugged.

“And who are you?” Vivian asked, sidling up to Percy. “You don’t go to Albion U, do you?”

“Go on,” Mithian said. “Give her a kiss beneath the mistletoe. It’ll be the most excitement she’s had since her Biology final.”

Percy smiled at Vivian and took her into his arms while the other students cheered. He kissed her quickly and danced around in a circle with her until Arthur found himself shoved beneath the offending berries.

“Who’s next?” cried Mithian.

“It’s you, Arthur,” Gwen shouted.

“Who’s going to give you a kiss?” Sophia asked.

“Don’t look at me,” Morgana laughed.

Just then, Merlin entered through the door, bringing a gust of cold air with him. A dusting of snow coated the dark fringe of hair that crept from beneath the brim of his hat.

“It’s Merlin!” Mithian squealed in delight.

“The fun is over now!” Morgana said. “My brother wouldn’t dare.”

There was nothing Arthur detested more than letting Morgana win a dare. He put all decorum aside and, without making so much as eye contact with Merlin, he cradled Merlin’s head between his hands and brought their lips together. To the sound of catcalls, Arthur felt his fingers slip between Merlin’s silky hair and the scratchy knit wool of his silly hat. Merlin’s lips were cold with the bite of winter’s chill. Arthur didn’t dare swipe his tongue along the seam of his lips – not with all these people watching. But he’d store the thought of it away for later, something to savor when he was alone with his private thoughts.

“Whuh?” Arthur heard Merlin gulp as he pulled back, still not daring to open his eyes.

“I can’t believe he did it!” Morgana shouted as the carolers erupted into a chorus of _I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus_.

When Arthur finally got the courage to open his eyes, he was rewarded with Merlin’s broad grin, his cheeks as red as Santa’s fur-trimmed coat.

“All right,” Arthur said, getting his bearings. “Enough of this nonsense, ladies. We’ve come to rescue you and take you to Lancaster Commons where a warm fire will welcome you from the storm.”

“My dad won’t be coming anyway,” Vivian said, excitedly.

“No?” Arthur asked with concern. “He didn’t get in an accident or anything like that, did he?”

“Oh, no,” Vivian said. “The State Police closed the highway and sent everyone back where they came from. It’s so dangerous, I called my dad and told him I’d spend the night here with my friends. It’s not worth risking his life to get to us.”

“That was a very wise decision,” Arthur said.

“I’m sure he was relieved to know that my friends were here with me, and that I wasn’t all alone,” Vivian said.

“And now, you’ve got more friends to spend the night with,” Arthur said. “Listen, Mithian, Elena, the temperature is going to drop here as the night goes on, but Lancaster Commons has a fireplace that will keep us all warm. Gather your things and you can walk there with us.”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” Mithian said.

“Yes,” Elena said, an arm slung around Gwaine’s shoulders. “Thanks for coming back for us. This evening is getting more interesting by the minute.”

Arthur wasn’t sure where Merlin had ducked off to after he kissed him. He hoped he wasn’t offended by it. Surely he would chalk it up to the experience of a night spent with _those crazy Albion U students._ School wasn’t only about textbooks and studying, was it? Oddly enough, up until now, for Arthur, it had been. And now, he felt that he needed to exert his authority, lest the students in his care lose respect for him. It was something Uther would have demanded.

When all the students had gathered their belongings, Arthur saw Merlin again, engaged in a deep conversation with Mithian. He waited until they looked like they were finished talking before he got everyone’s attention again.

“It’s only a short walk to Lancaster Commons from here,” Arthur said. “I’m sure the snow has filled in the path that Merlin plowed earlier, but if we stick together, we’ll be able to tramp down a trough through the snow so that we all arrive safely at Lancaster. Are you with me?”

A joyful cheer rose up from the crowd and Arthur led them through the door, putting Leon in charge of sweeping the back of the line for stragglers.

* * * 

When Arthur finally set foot into Lancaster Commons again, not much had changed, except the new inches of fresh snow that had fallen during the afternoon. The group of stranded students tamped as much snow off their feet as they could in the entryway so it wouldn’t melt all over the cold tile floor. The last thing Arthur needed was for a student to slip and crack their skull open. He was already worried about Percy’s concussion and Sophia’s emotional state. He didn’t need more challenges.

Morgana rushed by him and immediately plugged in the Christmas lights that wound their way up the railing of the wide spiral staircase that led from the common room to the next floor of the dorm. The brightly colored lights seemed to add some warmth to the room that had cooled off since the heat had been shut down.

“Show me where you keep the wood and I’ll get a fire started,” Gwaine said, throwing his hockey gearbag into the corner of the room.

“It’s out back,” Arthur said. “It’s all stacked by the door and there’s a trunk full of kindling beneath the overhang.

“Thanks,” Gwaine said. “Come on, Percy.”

“I’ll help you,” Merlin said, dropping his backpack beside a sofa. “Besides, Percy should be resting after suffering that concussion.”

Arthur opened his mouth to object. He wanted Merlin to stay inside with him. In the few hours that had passed since Arthur left his suite, Merlin had become his ride, his advisor, his companion – not to mention that they had shared an awkward kiss under the mistletoe. But calling attention to his need for Merlin to stay by him would only raise the other’s suspicion about his affection for Merlin. How could they see Arthur as their leader if he was so needy as to require the assistance of someone like Merlin? He wasn’t even an Albion U student!

Arthur stopped himself from speaking. If Merlin volunteered to help Gwaine, Arthur wouldn’t intercede. No… but he would keep a close eye on Gwaine. He was on The Raptors! Who knew what kind of Albion Dragons hockey secrets he could pry from an unsuspecting Merlin? Merlin was a townsperson with no known loyalty to Albion.

Dropping his duffle at the foot of the stairs, Arthur pulled his cellphone from his pocket. He quietly catalogued the reasons why he should keep Gwaine from Merlin. He refused to let Gwaine’s hockey-fit body, or his lustrous hair, or his flirtatious ways, come to mind. No, his reasons for keeping Merlin to himself were purely strategic to their survival of the storm. Merlin drove the plow, after all, and his friend Will offered to help him. It behooved Arthur to keep Merlin on his side, for the sake of the students in his charge.

Arthur tapped the key on his cellphone to call Uther. He hadn’t spoken to his father since early in the day. Although Morgana kept close contact with Uther, Arthur suspected it was time for him to hear from his son. At the very least, Arthur could let him know that he had taken charge of the storm situation and the students were safe in his care.

“Arthur, do you need me to call in the National Guard to come to your aid?” Uther asked. “You do realize that with just one mention of the Pendragon name, the governor will deploy a rescue party to retrieve you?”

“No, father,” Arthur said, mustering his most confident voice. “There’s no need for that. We’re holding up just fine.”

“I have spent many years cultivating friendships with the right people in the state capitol,” Uther said. “I hate to think that it was all for nothing when the need for a favor arose.”

“No, really, we’re fine. You’ve spoken to Morgana?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, and it concerns me that she sounds _cheerful_ for not being forced to visit Camelot over Christmas break. I daresay, she sounded downright jubilant when she told me that you might be stranded there over the holiday.”

Arthur shifted from one foot to the other. Morgana was never one to mince words, but the thought of his father alone, at Christmas, thawed Arthur’s heart a bit, especially as he watched the group of students work together to haul wood into the common room for the fire. They seemed to enjoy spending time together, despite the fact that they may not get to be with their loved ones tomorrow- on Christmas Eve. He was certain that some of the students missed their parents desperately. He was sorry that he did not count himself among them.

Across the room, Merlin knelt on the floor in front of the fireplace while Gwaine fed a steady supply of birch bark into Merlin’s hands. A lick of flames rose from the grate. Merlin had doffed his monogrammed jacket in order for his arms to move more freely as he broke the kindling into pieces. His long fingers distracted Arthur from his call as they pinched and tore the birch bark apart, hypnotizing Arthur with their efficient movements.

Even more distracting, Merlin’s pert ass swayed from side to side as he added fuel to the fire. Arthur wondered what it would feel like to slide his hands over those globes of firm naked flesh- if the skin there was as smooth and hairless as Merlin’s face. He wondered what sounds Merlin would make under his ministrations. Had he ever been with a college boy before? Could Arthur prove to him that everything Merlin had probably heard about promiscuous university students was true – even if Arthur hadn’t done anything to propagate the rumors himself?

“Arthur?” Uther asked. “Arthur?”

“Father?” Arthur fought to regain his composure. “Yes, everything’s fine. I’ve made sure the students who remained on campus, through no fault of their own, are well cared for. We’re safe. We’re warm. There’s nothing to be concerned about. If we’re stranded here longer than tonight, we’ll have to do something for food and drink, but I don’t foresee that being a problem.”

“That sounds acceptable, son,” Uther said. “I’ll miss you and Morgana tonight. I’ll have Mrs. Poxley wrap a plate from dinner for each of you in case you make your way home by some other means.”

“Thanks, father,” Arthur said. “I appreciate it. We both appreciate it.”

“I needn’t tell you that if all the students get through this ordeal unscathed, you’ll be a hero, Arthur. A hero to everyone. Goodnight, Arthur,” Uther said.

“Goodnight,” Arthur ended the call.

He pocketed his cellphone and contemplated his father’s words. His father always pushed him to do more than what he thought he was capable of, and this was no exception. Yes, Arthur would do everything he could to make these students enjoy their night here on campus. He’d make his father proud. He had no other choice.

Arthur thought about bringing his duffle back up to his room. It seemed pretentious to do so, since the other students had their belongings with them. The other students had no Egyptian cotton sheets to burrow into, no cozy private suite. For a moment, Arthur longed to be alone in his room where he felt safe from the outside pressures, safe from the demands of his father.

“Arthur? Arthur?” Merlin tugged on his arm.

“Merlin?” Arthur asked, shaken out of his reverie.

“The fire is going pretty well. I think the room will start warming up soon,” Merlin said. “As long as we keep feeding it wood, we’ll at least have warmth, even if we lose power.”

“Lose power?” Arthur asked, keeping his voice low as he watched the students get comfortable on the sofas, the ragtag groups of them enjoying each other’s company and the camaraderie brought on by the storm. “Do you think that’s a possibility?”

“Look,” Merlin said, his voice a whisper. “I didn’t want to say anything to the others, but I’ve been in contact with Will. He says the highway is not expected to open anytime soon. The storm has moved off the coast. They’re calling it a Nor’easter now. You can hear how the wind has changed. It’s like a hurricane, and it’s only going to get worse.”

“They’ll realize it soon enough when they turn on the television,” Arthur said. “I need to speak to them first. I need to let them know that they’re safe here.”

“You’ll do what you need to,” Merlin said.

Arthur clasped Merlin’s shoulder, letting his fingers linger on the cotton of his T-shirt before letting his hand slip away. He walked to the fireplace and turned around to address his charges.

“Okay everyone, listen up,” Arthur began.

Just then, the door to the common room flung open and a man dressed for the weather in head-to-toe hunter orange camouflage burst into the room. He pulled a loaded sled behind him.

Arthur stammered in disbelief.

Sophia looked as if she was going to pass out. Both Freya and Vivian, who had been talking by the fire, covered their gaping mouths in awe. Percy jumped up from where he was seated with Leon. Gwaine and Elena’s hands ceased roaming over each other from shoulders to asses. Mithian and Morgana stopped dead in their tracks where they had been dragging a fully decorated Christmas tree from the quiet study room. And, Gwen… Gwen rushed to the intruder and cried, “Lance? Is it you?”

Lance pulled the mirrored goggles from his face and broke into a broad smile.

“I figured you’d all be hungry,” he said.

“Oh, my God,” Elena squealed. “What have you got there?”

All the students stopped what they were doing, to rush to Lance’s sled to see what he had toted across the campus to where they were holed up.

“Lance, you’re amazing,” cried Gwen, peeling the layer of tablecloths off the sled.

“It looks like we won’t have to worry about food anymore, eh?” Arthur said, tapping Merlin’s chest before greeting Lance.

Lance was the manager of The Round Table, the student cafeteria. Arthur had run into him on campus many times and he always seemed quite professional. His café shared building space with the school bookstore, The Isle of Avalon, that Gwen managed for her business internship. Seeing the look of delight on Gwen’s face when Lance arrived, Arthur assumed she and Lance were much more than good friends.

“I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse,” Percy said, picking the tin foil off a fully-cooked stuffed turkey.

“Me too,” Gwaine said. “I wasn’t going to say anything about being hungry because I know we’re all in the same situation, but that hospital breakfast we had earlier today truly sucked.”

“Hear, hear,” Sophia said. “I know just what you mean.”

“Oh, Lance,” Gwen said. “You shouldn’t have!”

“What on earth do you have there?” asked Arthur.

“It was to be donated to the town food pantry,” Lance said, unzipping his camouflage jacket. “At the end of the semester, there’s always perishable food left over and we usually give it away.”

“We are ever-grateful recipients,” Leon said, unwrapping a platter of cheeses.

“I had everything loaded up and ready to go,” Lance said as he heaved a stockpot of clam chowder from the sled. Gwaine helped him carry it to the fireplace, where they set it on the grate to heat. “Until I realized the storm had made the roads impassable. I felt bad about the food going to waste, but then when I saw you all trudging by, singing carols, I knew I had an alternate plan for the food.”

“Thanks so much for thinking of us, Lance,” Morgana said, leaning over to kiss Lance’s cheek.

“There’ll be plenty of food to see us through the storm now,” Arthur said. “It was really thoughtful of you to remember us, Lance. You really went above and beyond the call of duty. The university is lucky to have you.”

“It’s an honor,” Lance said, blushing. “Everyone! Dig in! There’s ham and sweet rolls and everything you’ll need to spend your holiday away from home. Oh, and before I forget, there’s a vat of lamb stew that was still hot when I loaded it into the sled. You may want to start with that first. And there’s plenty more where this came from. It’s not far across the way.”

A cheer went up from the students as they tucked into their unexpected dinner. Leon and Percy each gnawed on a turkey leg, while Gwaine and Elena fed each other bits of cold cheese sandwiches.

Arthur noticed that Merlin’s eyes went bright with joy as he licked sugar from his fingers, sticky from devouring a pear tart. It was wonderful for Arthur to see everyone so happy, with the promise of being warm and well-fed. No matter that they couldn’t be with their families tonight, they seemed just as happy to be spending their time among friends.

Arthur approached the sled and helped himself to a bowl and spoon. Lance had thought of everything before he dragged his haul across the newly-fallen snow to provide a feast for them. Stopping by the fireplace of dancing flames, Arthur held his bowl for Gwen to fill it with the fragrant lamb stew.

“And a merry Christmas to you, RA Pendragon,” Gwen said with a gracious smile.

“A merry Christmas to you, too,” Arthur said, grateful that their impromptu gathering had warmed him from the inside out.

He wandered over to a sofa, where Mithian and Vivian sat, a half-loaf of fresh bread between them.

“Have a piece to dip,” Vivian said. “The stew is best with a piece of crusty bread.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Arthur said, positioning his bowl on the coffee table and sitting cross-legged on the rug in front of the sofa where the girls sat.

“Did you ever run into Mordred again?” Mithian asked Vivian.

“No, not after he said he was going to practice,” Vivian said.

“What’s this?” asked Arthur between bites of bread dipped in the stew. He remembered his run-in with Mordred earlier in the day and he couldn’t help but wonder if he had left the campus to go home.

“Mordred – he’s in my Intro to Psych class. We saw him after you and Merlin drove by,” Mithian said. “It must have been about noontime.”

“After what you told us, we were surprised anyone was left on campus, besides us,” Vivian added.

“He mentioned that he might head to the ice arena,” Mithian said.

“You know how those hockey players are,” Vivian said. “They feel most at home when they are on the ice.”

“There couldn’t have been a practice scheduled,” Arthur said. “Not with the university closing for break. Even if the roads weren’t bad, the coach wouldn’t have called a practice.”

“What’s this about the roads?” Merlin asked, carrying a bowl of chowder and a Red Bull to where the group sat. Arthur shimmied over a few inches so Merlin had space to sit on the floor in front of the girls.

“Before I left here and ran into you,” Arthur said, “I found a student wandering the girls’ floor of Lancaster Commons. He was looking for Kara, but she had already left earlier in the morning.”

“He’s got the hots for Kara,” Vivian said.

“I think she likes him too, even though he’s only a freshman,” Mithian said, raising her eyebrows at Merlin.

“I can’t imagine he left the campus,” Arthur said.

“By the time we got to York Hill, the roads were closed,” Merlin said.

“Do you think he’s staying at the ice arena… alone?” Vivian asked.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Arthur said, putting down his bowl

“I’ll go with you,” Mithian said, dropping her spoon.

“No, Mithian,” Arthur said. “Listen to the storm outside. It would be irresponsible of me to let you go out in this weather.”

“He’s right, Mithian,” Vivian agreed. “Besides, it’s nice in here with the fire, and that Mordred kid is kind of a jerk.”

“Well, promise me you won’t go alone, Arthur,” Mithian said with a sigh.

“I wanted to go out to take more photographs of the snow,” Merlin said. “I’d go with you… and you wouldn’t be putting any students in danger.”

Arthur stirred his stew. Merlin was right. In fact, he was the only non-student present who knew the campus well enough to find his way around.

“It’ll do me no good to tell you to stay put, will it?” Arthur asked.

“Not a chance,” Merlin said with a smile.

Arthur had no good excuse for stopping Merlin from accompanying him. Besides, Merlin had already begun to sort through the camera gear with all the various lenses and devices he had brought with him in his backpack. After Arthur had a word with Leon, leaving him in charge of the group at Lancaster Commons, both Arthur and Merlin zipped up their jackets. Merlin pulled a spare hat from his pocket, a striped number with a tassel affixed to the top. Arthur reluctantly accepted it, grateful that his father wasn’t there to see him don such a thing.

Assuring himself that Gwaine could tend the fire, and Morgana could manage to keep everyone social, Arthur led the way into the snowy outdoors. He and Merlin plodded their way along the track left by Lance’s sled, to the ice arena where they hoped to find Mordred.

* * * 

On their way to the arena, the wind howled so loudly that Arthur could hardly hear Merlin when he shouted that he wanted to drop back to take a few photographs of the Lancaster Commons exterior. Arthur waited for him to get a few shots, doubting that much of the scenery would be visible because of the whiteout conditions. After a few moments, Merlin caught up again and they began to tramp through the snow that had already drifted over Lance’s sled track.

The wind froze Arthur’s cheeks and he chastised himself for wearing gloves instead of the mittens that would have kept his fingers warmer. Up ahead, The Isle of Avalon rose in a mist of snow, and beside it, The Round Table, where Lance had claimed the donated food in the name of the stranded students. It was here that Arthur and Merlin’s easy slog ended. The arena lay just beyond the store and café and they’d have to force themselves through the untracked snow for a hundred yards or so. Still Arthur worried that the snow might be too deep for him and Merlin alone.

Partway there, when Merlin wanted to stop to mark their progress with his camera, Arthur braced himself against the wind, turning so the brunt of it hit his back. Even still, the wind threatened to knock him off his feet. He waited silently while Merlin got off a few shots. Arthur had the feeling that Merlin would like to have lingered for a while longer outside, but Merlin made the best use of their time, carefully selecting the best angle and the best exposure for his art.

Their final push to the arena challenged Arthur’s sensibilities. The snow was nearly up to their hips already and so they took turns breaking their way through, stepping in each other’s footsteps, taking turns at being in the lead.

Arthur was relieved when the ice arena came into view. The brick building rose like a behemoth in the night, visible despite the blizzard. To Arthur’s surprise, none of the arena lights were turned on. His heart sank to think that Mordred wasn’t at the arena as they had suspected. Better for Mordred, at least, if he had made it home ahead of the storm. But still, Arthur and Merlin had traveled all this way for nothing. In any case, they could use the shelter of the ice arena for a rest stop before they headed back to Lancaster Commons.

After saying a prayer of thanks for finding the main door unlocked, Arthur threw the switch and the arena flooded with light.

“Whoa!” Merlin said, trying to catch his breath after closing the door behind them.

The ice gleamed beneath the bright lights of the silent arena. The dank smell of sweat and popcorn filled Arthur’s nostrils. He had been to the university’ hockey games before, but he had never been inside the arena when there weren’t any students around.

“First of all, I can’t believe we made it,” Merlin’s voice echoed in the cavernous space where each of the thousands of seats sat empty.

“And second?” Arthur asked, stripping off his gloves and tamping the snow from his feet.

“Second, I can’t believe Mordred isn’t here,” Merlin said.

“There’s no one here,” Arthur said. “We should have known it was empty when the arena came into view and we couldn’t see any lights. No one in their right mind would be in here tonight, not in the dark.”

Indeed, night had fallen in the time since Arthur and Merlin had left the warmth of Lancaster common room, although it was hard to tell since the sun had been obscured by a thick blanket of snow-spewing clouds for most of the day. At least the arena was dry and windless, if not much warmer than the wintry world outside.

“Look at this,” Merlin said, kicking off his boots.

“What’s that?” Arthur asked.

“I didn’t know they rented skates here,” Merlin said.

“You learn something new every day at Albion U,” Arthur said with a chuckle. “At least that’s what the brochure said.”

Merlin rolled his eyes and hoisted himself onto the rental counter.

“I think they have a public skating session a couple times a week, when the hockey team has an away game,” Arthur said. He leaned over to brush the snow from his jeans, the frozen clumps falling to the concrete floor. It seemed somewhat pointless, since he and Merlin were going to wander back through the same snowdrifts when they returned to Lancaster Commons.

Merlin dropped onto the floor on the opposite side of the counter, his jeans leaving a wet smear across the chipped Formica countertop. “Check it out,” he said, pulling a black pair of men’s skates from one of the dozen cubbyholes where similar skates awaited rental. “Just my size.”

“You’re not going to—” Arthur began, but it was too late. Merlin had already plopped himself down on a bench inside the rental area. He eagerly shoved his sock-clad foot into a skate.

“Oh yes, I am,” Merlin said as he worked to untangle the laces. “It’s been ages since I skated.”

Arthur scrubbed a hand over his eyes, his fingers catching under the hat Merlin had loaned him.

“Come on,” Merlin said. “There’s bound to be a pair here for you. What are you, a size ten?”

“Eleven,” Arthur said, putting a familiar edge of competition into his voice. It came with the territory of being both a Pendragon and an Albion U student. No matter that he had never been on ice skates before, and hesitated to try it now in Merlin’s presence.

“Here you go, sir,” Merlin said. He stepped toward the counter, one foot spiking its blade into the rubberized mat. He handed Arthur a pair of skates similar to his own. “That’ll be two bucks.”

“I’m not paying you, you idiot,” Arthur said with a laugh of disbelief.

Merlin grinned from ear to ear. Arthur smiled back fondly, glad to have amused Merlin so. Merlin closed his eyes and turned back to the bench where his other skate lay. “Go ahead and put them on,” he said, tilting his head. “The first time is free.”

Arthur ran his thumb over the leather ankle of one skate. He was an avid fan of friendly competition, but this was a game he feared losing. “Well that’s an offer I can’t possibly refuse,” Arthur said, despite his misgivings. He grabbed the skates by their blades and brought them to the first row of spectator seating. He couldn’t believe he was going through with this. The things that Merlin had him doing, first kissing him under the mistletoe, now ice skating like he was on a goddamned date with a girl. He worried about the warm feelings that uncurled in his belly when he was with Merlin. Aware as always that he was a leader on campus and the heir to Pendragon LLC, he tamped down his emotions as best he could, just like he always did.

Arthur kicked off his shoes and sat in the cold plastic seat at the end of a row. Somehow, he got the skates on his feet, tying them as tightly as possible for fear that he’d break an ankle if he wasn’t careful. He watched Merlin shuck off his jacket before climbing back over the counter with his own skates on, his lithe movements supported by the wiry strength of his arms as he hauled himself over.

Arthur had just finished checking his knots one more time when Merlin slid open the hasp on the gate and threw the door open to the ice.

“It’s like riding a bike,” Merlin said, stepping onto the ice. “Once you have skates on your feet, the muscle memory of it will come back to you.”

Arthur carefully got to his feet. He was slightly nervous, and hoped that the hours he spent running up the four flights of stairs to his private dorm room would pay off with his leg muscles keeping him upright. He held onto the wall and gingerly made his way to the gate. The skates made him feel taller, like he was wearing a pair of Morgana’s platform shoes. But he walked much less elegantly than she.

On the ice, Merlin had already skated to the opposite side of the arena and was making his way back to the gate. Arthur heard the clicking of Merlin’s skate blades as they touched the ice, his bare arms pumping with every stride.

Arthur stepped onto the ice and tottered for a few steps.

“There you go,” Merlin said, stopping beside Arthur, a spray of ice whooshing up from his blades.

Arthur smiled at the encouragement.

“You’ve never been on skates before?” Merlin asked.

There was no sense in lying. Any idiot could see that Arthur had never skated. His thighs burned with the effort of staying on his feet. He hoped he wouldn’t make a complete fool of himself.

“No, I’ve never been,” Arthur said, loosening his grip with one hand on the wall.

“I used to be pretty good at it,” Merlin said. “Here, I’ll help you out.”

Merlin offered Arthur his gloved hand. Although it was cold inside the arena, beads of sweat broke out on Arthur’s brow. He looked at Merlin’s hand and then let his eyes roam across Merlin’s body to his face. Merlin licked his lips.

Arthur felt himself relax as he slid his hand into Merlin’s glove.

“That’s it,” Merlin said. “Now, the other hand.”

Arthur clenched his jaw.

“Just relax,” Merlin said.

Arthur took a deep breath and let go of the wall. Merlin quickly grabbed his hand that waved in the air frantically, searching for balance.

Arthur gasped in surprise when he realized he wasn’t holding onto the wall at all anymore. Instead, he was secure in Merlin’s grip. His hold on Merlin’s sure hands kept him safely upright on his skates.

“There you go,” Merlin said with a smile. “I’ve got you.”

Arthur sighed with relief when he realized that he wasn’t going to fall and crack his skull open. He felt Merlin moving backwards on the ice, his feet moving his skates apart, then closer together, apart, then closer together as he dragged Arthur along. It was actually quite pleasant for Arthur to feel his skates glide in a straight path across the ice as Merlin tugged him along.

“You’ve done this before,” Arthur said.

“A few times, maybe,” Merlin said with a chuckle. “My mother used to take me to the rink all the time when I was a little kid back in Ealdor.”

Merlin turned his head and took a peek over his shoulder when they neared the opposite wall of the rink. He slowed down and let his back touch the wall. Arthur felt his skates stop while Merlin gently guided his hands so he could hold the wall again.

“Ealdor?” Arthur asked. “Is that where you’re from? I heard you mention it earlier when we were in the truck.”

“Yes, that’s where Will and I were headed tonight, before the blizzard got so bad,” Merlin said. “You?”

“Camelot,” Arthur said.

Merlin nodded. “That’s a beautiful place – not that I’ve ever been there, but I’ve seen pictures,” he said.

“It’s not much different from anywhere else, really,” Arthur said, hoping to dispel the impression that he was an entitled prat that often arose when people found out where he was from.

“I suppose it might not seem that way if you grew up there,” Merlin said. “I’d imagine I could get used to the sandy beaches and the nice restaurants…. The celebrity watching – I could get a job as a paparazzi!”

“What, there’s no place to eat in Ealdor?” Arthur asked with a laugh.

“Just a Kentucky Fried Chicken that opened downtown when I was a senior in high school,” Merlin said, solemnly. “We had the outdoor rink in winter, and in the summer I’d have to decide whether to take a spin on my jet ski or whether to launch my private yacht across Ealdor’s muddy swimming hole.”

“I’m sorry,” Arthur said. Although he appreciated Merlin’s sense of humor, he felt terrible for making him feel bad about Ealdor. “I didn’t mean to make fun.” 

“That’s all right,” Merlin said. “I shouldn’t be jealous of other people, just because they had more opportunities than I did in Ealdor. It’s still my home. My mom was a single parent who always did the best she could. Money was always tight – I could only afford to go to the local Community College, but she made sure I had a happy life. Honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“That’s a good attitude to have,” Arthur said. “I wish I could say the same about Camelot.”

“Shall we head back?” Merlin asked, raising his chin toward the gate on the other side of the ice.

“My life is in your hands,” Arthur said. He shrugged happily and let go of the wall to take Merlin’s gloved hands again.

“Now, this time, I’m going to expect you to do some of the work,” Merlin said. “Are you ready?”

Arthur nodded. “Just tell me what to do,” he said.

“Okay, watch my feet,” Merlin said. “And try to copy what I do. Bring them in together, then out to the sides, back in together, then out to the sides.”

Arthur followed Merlin’s instructions and soon, he was moving effortlessly along the ice. He still held Merlin’s hands, but he had gained enough confidence to balance on his own skates without feeling that he might pull Merlin down onto the ice with him if he fell.

“You’re doing great,” Merlin said, as they glided along.

Arthur was pleased to follow Merlin’s instructions. “Thanks,” he said. “Morgana was right. You’re a good teacher.”

“I think it’s funny that you’ve never skated before,” Merlin said. “Didn’t your mother ever take you ice skating? Or was she more of a soccer mom?”

Arthur felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes. It had been a long time since anyone mentioned his mother. He tightened his grip on Merlin’s fingers.

Merlin’s face fell. It was as if he knew he had said something terribly wrong.

“I don’t remember my mother,” Arthur said. “She died when I was only a baby.”

“Oh, Arthur,” Merlin said, looking behind him to see how close they were to the gate. “I’m so sorry. It was stupid for me to say what I did.”

“No,” Arthur said. “It’s just…”

“What is it?” Merlin asked, stopping when his back touched the wall.

“She went ice skating with her sister on a pond in Camelot. It was spring. They should have known better. She fell through ice and drowned,” Arthur said, letting Merlin guide his hands to the gate.

“Arthur,” Merlin said, his eyes full of worry. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“No, you couldn’t have,” Arthur said, looking down at the ice. “That’s why I don’t know how to skate. My father never allowed it. I was forbidden from ever going on the ice when the ponds were frozen over, even in the middle of winter. My father was always too scared that he’d lose me too.”

Merlin squeezed Arthur’s hand.

Arthur looked back at Merlin’s face and took a deep breath. “We didn’t have an ice arena in Camelot. At least you had a rink in Ealdor,” Arthur said, forcing himself to smile.

“Arthur?” Merlin said.

Arthur found Merlin’s eyes, his expression fond.

“I’d really like to kiss you right now,” Merlin said.

Arthur tried to calm his heartbeat, but it felt like a skittering jackrabbit threatened to burst out of his chest. He inhaled, letting the cold air rush into his lungs. “I think I’d like that,” he said.

Arthur closed his eyes and felt Merlin’s gloved hand on the back of his neck. Merlin’s fingers tucked into his hair and pulled Arthur’s head forward until their lips met. The wind rattled the walls of the arena. Merlin’s lips were soft and warm, warmer than Arthur thought they would be as they skimmed over Arthur’s, dry and chapped. Arthur reasoned to himself that the exertion of skating had warmed both him and Merlin so they were less affected by the cold. While Arthur’s brain tried to rationalize things, his body reacted otherwise, his cock caring not one iota about the reason for thermodynamics.

As Arthur sucked and licked at Merlin’s mouth, he was at a loss for what to do with his hands. He didn’t dare let go of the wall, nor did he want to go too fast by taking Merlin by the hips and grinding against him. Instead, he rested one palm on Merlin’s chest, feeling his heart beat as if Merlin’s chest housed the same jackrabbit that lived in his own.

“About that mistletoe,” Merlin breathed when their lips broke contact, “did you do that because they made you? Or just to show off in front of Morgana?”

“No,” Arthur said. “Well, maybe a little bit… but I wanted to kiss you.”

Merlin smiled and rubbed his nose against Arthur’s before leaning in for another kiss.

Arthur’s hands grabbed for the wall on each side of Merlin as their lips crashed together. Merlin cradled Arthur’s face in his hands and tilted his chin to get a better angle.

Kissing Merlin was nothing like kissing a girl. Not that Arthur had much experience to draw from, but he liked the way Merlin sucked his bottom lip into his mouth before pressing forward with his tongue, sliding it together with Arthur’s. His tongue tasted like cotton candy. The brush of Merlin’s whiskery five o’clock-shadowed cheek against Arthur’s sent a spike of arousal down Arthur’s spine.

Arthur canted his hips forward and rubbed his erection against Merlin’s thigh. It seemed that Merlin was just as hard as Arthur. The thought of fucking Merlin made Arthur drunk with lust. He gave over his mouth for Merlin to do what he wanted with it, plundering it with his candy tongue, driving Arthur into a dizzying frisson of excitement.

Arthur’s eyes fluttered open and he suddenly remembered he was in the vacant ice arena. The empty seats which once held spectators sent a chill of fear through him. What if they weren’t alone here? What if someone saw? What would people think of him? What would his father say? He felt unsafe to be out here, in the open, kissing Merlin – kissing a man!

“Arthur?” Merlin asked, his cheeks flushed and eyes half-closed with desire, but sensing something was wrong nonetheless.

“I can’t, Merlin,” Arthur said. “I just can’t.”

Arthur broke his grip on the wall and backed away from Merlin.

“Arthur?” Merlin called. “Arthur!”

But Arthur turned away and stumbled off the ice with legs as wobbly as a newborn colt’s.

* * * 

“Go ahead, Arthur, pick a name!” Morgana squealed as soon as Arthur opened the door. She held a bowl of tiny folded papers in front of Arthur’s face. “And no peeking!”

“What’s this all about?” Arthur asked.

“It’s for Secret Santa,” Freya said, clutching a slip of paper between her fingers. “Hurry up before you get left out.”

“Well, can’t it wait until I take my coat off?” Arthur asked, stripping off his gloves and tamping the snow off his shoes.

“Where’s Merlin?” Sophia asked. She looked up from hanging an ornament on the Christmas tree that Arthur had witnessed his sister dragging into the room earlier. 

“He’s right behind me,” Arthur said with a nod. At least he was fairly certain that Merlin was behind him.

Arthur had caught a glimpse of Merlin following him as they trudged through the snow on their way back to Lancaster Commons. As soon as Arthur had gotten back to the plastic seat and tore the laces of his skates apart to free himself, he donned his coat and stormed out the arena door.

Damn Merlin for making him feel the way he did.

In the Lancaster common room, mattresses had been dragged from the storage room. They lined the perimeter of the walls, offering suitable sleeping places for each of the students who found themselves stranded for the night.

Morgana’s eyes danced in the firelight as she urged Arthur to draw a name from the bowl.

“Go ahead, Arthur,” Gwaine yelled from his position on a mattress that he had claimed as his own.

“We’ve already got ours,” Percy said from his perch on a chair before the fire, holding up a slip of paper.

“And don’t tell us whose name you get!” Elena shouted.

Arthur sighed and dipped his hand into the bowl. His heart hadn’t stopped racing from the trip through the snow. It would be best to play along with Morgana’s ridiculous Secret Santa plan rather than to indicate he had gotten physical with Merlin. He grabbed the first slip of paper that his fingers touched and pulled it from the bowl.

“Merlin!” Leon called out. “So nice of you to join us!”

“Hey guys,” Merlin said as he kicked the snow from his boots.

“It’s your turn,” Morgana said, holding the bowl for him. 

Arthur tossed his coat onto the sofa where he had left his duffle earlier in the day. Sitting on the armrest, he tried to avoid watching Merlin as he chose a name from the bowl, although Merlin was the center of attention in the room. When he unfolded the slip of paper that he trapped between his fingers, Merlin caught Arthur’s eyes for a moment.

Arthur just looked away.

“Okay, time for you, Lance,” Morgana said, walking to Lance in her stocking-feet. “We can’t leave you out. Not after you brought us all this food.”

Lance chose a name from the bowl and Morgana continued around the room, making sure everyone got the chance to choose a name.

“Gwaine drew his own name first,” Gwen said as she made herself comfortable on the sofa next to Arthur. “So he had to put his name back in and choose again.”

“What is this ridiculous Secret Santa thing, anyway?” Arthur asked.

Gwen tugged at Arthur’s hand and drew him down to sit on the sofa with her. The television droned on about the weather. Apparently hundreds of flights had been canceled along the east coast and the governors of several states urged their residents to stay off the roads until the storm ended and the clean-up efforts could begin. With Arthur’s luck, it would be January before he got off the Albion U campus again.

“Arthur!” Gwen said. “You can’t tell me you’ve never been a part of a Secret Santa before?”

“If I have, I don’t remember,” Arthur said.

Gwen laughed at him, her eyes glittering in the twinkling Christmas lights.

“You picked a name, so you have to give that person a Christmas present,” Gwen explained. “Someone else here chose _your_ name, and they’ll be getting a gift for you.”

“And Christmas is the day after tomorrow. Everything is closed and we are all supposed to be at home, so where exactly are people going to shop for a Secret Santa gift?” Arthur asked.

“Oh Arthur, you missed the planning stages of this,” Gwen said.

“If you hadn’t run off to check the arena for Mordred, you’d know what was going on here. Get with the program,” Morgana said, dropping into the space beside him on the sofa, so Arthur was trapped between both Gwen and his sister.

“It’s not my job to socialize,” Arthur said. “I’m just trying to keep everyone here alive and in reasonably good spirits.”

“And you’re doing a fine job of it,” Morgana said.

“And in case you were concerned, we never found Mordred,” Arthur said.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Morgana said. “So have you thought of what you’re going to get as a gift for your recipient?”

“If you need help shopping, I could be of assistance,” Gwen said, “unless you chose me, of course. Then I’ll just show you the earrings I’ve had my eye on.”

“That would defeat the purpose of it being called a _Secret_ Santa,” Morgana said, laughing.

“I won’t be buying a gift. And even if I wanted to buy one, there are no stores to shop in,” Arthur said with a snort.

“Ahhh…. that’s where you’re wrong, dear brother,” Morgana said.

“Maybe we should have asked you first,” Gwen said. “But tomorrow morning, if we’re still stuck here, I’m going to open The Isle of Avalon so the students can shop there for gifts.”

“Not just gifts, some people might need toothpaste or toiletries,” Morgana said, reassuringly.

“Necessities,” Gwen said. “It won’t only be for the sake of capitalism.”

“Morgana,” Arthur said, dropping his shoulders. “I can’t have the students traipsing around outside in a blizzard.”

“I told you he’d say that,” Gwen said with a wave of her hand.

“Arthur,” Morgana said, “everyone’s been so lovely to each other all day. They’ve made an effort to get along despite the plight we’ve been given and despite being stuck in here with nothing to do. It’ll be fun to shop at Isle of Avalon.”

“He doesn’t know the meaning of fun,” Gwen said with dismay. “You, of all people, should know that, Morgana. Sometimes I pity you for having him for a brother.”

With her fists clenched and her brow furrowed, Gwen got up from the sofa and retreated to the alcove that led to the laundry room. Vivian seemed to notice how distraught she was. She followed Gwen and comforted her with a hug and words that Arthur couldn’t hear.

Arthur edged away from Morgana. He hated the way Gwen spoke about him in front of his sister. She had some nerve, railing against him as if he wasn’t even there. Still, he’d taken care to not let her penetrate the armor that shielded him. It was probably for the best that Gwen stopped trying to be civil. Arthur was a leader. And an effective leader never won a popularity contest. Secret Santa, or no, Arthur had to protect the students from making foolish decisions in the blizzard. It was the only behavior his father would accept. It was the Pendragon way. His encounter with Merlin only reaffirmed his stance on such diversions. He needed to avoid them at all costs.

“Arthur,” Morgana whispered.

Arthur folded his arms and inched farther away from Morgana. He was grateful that no one else in the room noticed the interaction between them.

“Arthur,” Morgana whispered again, patting his shoulder. “I don’t want to…. I hate to see you like this.”

“I’m not _like_ anything,” Arthur said, his jaw clamped tight.

“You’re like this,” Morgana said rubbing her hand across his back, the muscles tight from stress. “You’re always so tense. I don’t know how you even manage to fall asleep at night.”

“You can leave me to manage my own sleeping habits,” Arthur said, trying to shuck off his sister’s arm.

“I trust you, brother. You’re a leader among men… a leader here,” Morgana said. “But if you can’t take the time to enjoy things in life, you’ll be dead of a heart attack before your twentieth birthday.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Arthur said, letting his head fall forward to block the distractions of the room from view.

“Of course I do,” Morgana said. “Just take a look around… all these people. Most of us barely knew each other before tonight. And now, look at them. They’re happy here, despite our circumstances. They’re downright joyful. It’s almost Christmas, for God’s sake.”

Arthur wanted desperately to ignore Morgana, but when he looked up again, he dared to look at the others.

“Go ahead,” Morgana said, nudging his shoulder. “Look.”

Gwen and Vivian had been joined by Lance. The girls laughed as Lance told them a story, his hands moving animatedly to describe some tale of daring. At least Gwen seemed to be happy again.

Elena had joined Gwaine on his mattress. They shared a plate of cheese and crackers while Gwaine texted someone on his cellphone. Maybe the Raptors’ coach, Arthur thought as his eyes drifted to Percy, wondering how his concussion was affecting him.

In front of the fire, Percy used a small hatchet to split the dry wood into kindling. Freya and Sophia cheered him on, squealing in delight over his bulging biceps. The girls gathered the kindling when the slivers of wood separated from the main log.

Leon threw back a glass of amber liquid that Arthur sincerely hoped wasn’t whiskey. Despite Leon being a year older, he had no business drinking in Lancaster Commons… not on Arthur’s watch. Arthur tensed his shoulders and gritted his teeth. What would his father think if he learned that Arthur had lost his control over the other students?

“They’re alive Arthur,” Morgana said. “Alive because of your good judgment in keeping us here, making sure all of us were safe. You excel at that. But they’re not just breathing, they’re alive on the inside too. They’re happy.”

Arthur felt Morgana’s hand reassuringly patting his back. He took a deep breath and relaxed into her touch, grateful that she appreciated him for keeping them safe. In some small way, it helped him to frame the confusing thoughts that ran through his mind, all thanks to the opposing forces of his loyalty to his father and his attraction to Merlin.

His eyes drifted to Merlin. He stood by the fireplace with Mithian, his face lighting up as they talked. About what? Arthur could only guess. Perhaps Merlin hoped to impress Mithian with new tales of Will’s antics. Or maybe Merlin hoped to impress Mithian, himself. For all Arthur knew, Merlin swung both ways, as his father might say when commenting about Gustavo, the gay gardener they hired one summer to tend the grounds at the Pendragon house.

“It’s Uther who holds you back,” Morgana said, her tone more serious than Arthur had ever heard before. “It’s always about him.”

“You don’t know what it’s like to be his son,” Arthur said, remembering the way his father would sometimes laugh about Gustavo, whether meaning to be hurtful or not. It was during that summer that Arthur first learned to hide the confusing questions about his sexuality that bothered him, and to conceal his attraction to other men.

“I know enough,” Morgana said. “He keeps you from finding your happiness. But he can’t control you forever, Arthur. Something has to change. You need to free yourself of his bonds.”

Arthur let his shoulders relax. His eyes burned into Merlin. He felt a flame of jealousy because of the smile Merlin shared with Mithian.

“It’s not your fault that you think the way you do. It’s never really been a problem for me to distance myself from Uther’s demands because I wasn’t raised by him, not from birth like you were,” Morgana said.

“Your path wasn’t that much easier than mine,” Arthur said, greedy with the desire to feel Merlin’s soft lips on his again.

“You can’t continue to deny yourself what you truly desire,” Morgana said. “You seek Uther’s approval, but you take nothing for yourself. It’s wrong, Arthur. It’s killing you. Maybe it used to be funny when we were kids, but it’s not anymore.”

Arthur couldn’t remember the last time he felt joy. As a child he had been denied a sweet cake for fear that it might ruin his appetite. A Pendragon didn’t play in the mud that might soil his clothes. A friend from the wrong side of town might bring him disrespect. A sport as simple and carefree as ice skating could prove deadly.

Arthur had always deferred to Uther’s will. What Morgana said was true. He never took pleasure for himself, never experienced the joy that came so easily to his sister.

He watched Merlin as the snow fell outside, blanketing the dorm in a swath of white. He treasured the way Merlin’s eyes crinkled at the corners with each of his smiles. But Arthur couldn’t reject his father’s expectations, no matter how close he came to the ice earlier tonight. There was always the ice, cold and unyielding, keeping Arthur from feeling his own warmth.

Even if he could free himself from the constraints of responsibility, Merlin wouldn’t want Arthur now. Not after he ran away from him at the arena, exploding from the bridled emotions that dared to break loose.

“I wish things were different, Morgana,” Arthur said.

“Think about it,” Morgana said. “Think of what could be, if you lost this attitude.”

“Maybe later,” Arthur said. “But for now, I’m heading to bed.”

Arthur tapped Morgana’s knee with a closed fist and got to his feet.

“Goodnight, Arthur,” Morgana whispered.

Arthur forced himself to cross the room to the stairway without looking over at Merlin.

* * * 

Upstairs, Arthur dropped his duffle onto the bed. The room hadn’t cooled off much since he left. He suspected the heat would continue to rise from the common room, four stories below, as long as the students kept the fire stoked. He tried his phone, but the battery was dead. Retrieving the charger from the duffel’s outside pocket, he plugged in the phone to charge. At least they hadn’t lost power in the storm. He could be thankful for some things, despite the way the day had turned out.

He next dragged his laptop out of the duffle, pulling the bottle of Captain Morgan out first and setting it on his desk. He powered up the laptop and checked to see if he had any emails that couldn’t wait until morning. With no important messages needing his attention, he kicked off his shoes and, purely out of habit, nudged them over to the heating vent, which had long since gone cold.

Arthur’s socks were damp from trudging through the snow, so he stripped them off and tossed them into the empty laundry basket. Deciding to change into something more comfortable for the night, he rifled through a drawer and found a soft pair of old sweatpants. He shucked his pants and pulled the sweats on over his boxers.

At the window, he watched the snow fall. The wind whipped the landscape into otherworldly-looking drifts with long carved valleys and sculpted ridges. Even from the fourth floor, Arthur could see nature’s handiwork by the glowing yellow lights that illuminated the campus. The scene was breathtaking, peaceful even, despite the storm’s fury that had trapped him at school. He watched for a while, mesmerized by the beauty of the winter scenery, which did wonders to calm him.

He supposed he should be relieved that he didn’t have to face Uther in Camelot tonight. He’d have questions about Arthur’s leadership in the storm situation, and he’d hold Arthur’s performance over his head with rhetoric about whether Arthur was qualified to run Pendragon LLC.

Maybe Morgana was right. Maybe she did have it much easier than he. She was free to make friends of her own choosing, despite their inability to serve as viable business connections. She could take the classes she liked: photography, and fashion, and Social Media 101. When she was caught with vodka hidden in a water bottle during her freshman year, Uther laughed it off and Morgana got a slap on the wrist from the administration. She had always been held to a different standard than Arthur. Now she seemed convinced that the difference affected her happiness… and Arthur’s. But what would happen if Arthur shunned his father’s legacy to pursue interests closer to his heart, as Morgana suggested? He didn’t dare imagine. It was much too dangerous to venture out onto that ice.

Arthur’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He left the window and padded across the rug, expecting to see Morgana in the hall. When he opened the door, he was somewhat relieved that it wasn’t his sister standing there, ready to argue that he should ignore his father’s expectations. After all, she didn’t stand half the chance of convincing him that the man at the door did.

“Hey,” Merlin said, his eyes drifting down Arthur’s body to his bare feet.

“Hey,” Arthur said, trying to keep the apology out of his voice, unsure whether Merlin would buy it.

“Morgana told me where I could find you,” Merlin said, his eyes shifting to the giant number ‘4’ painted on the wall in the hallway. “Fourth floor.”

“Yeah,” Arthur said. Immediately, he knew he was a fool to think that he could run away from his attraction to Merlin. That much was obvious when Merlin stood at his door in his silly hat, his pale skin flushed from the steep climb. The warmth rolled off him in waves that crashed over Arthur and aroused him more than ever.

Arthur’s fingers gripped the doorknob. He held the door steady, unsure whether to throw it open in invitation or to keep it halfway closed, leaving enough room for Merlin to squeeze by him.

“You forgot your hat,” Merlin said, holding the tasseled thing out to Arthur as if it were a gift. It must have fallen off Arthur’s head when he took his coat off in the common room, unnoticed as Morgana’s Secret Santa bowl awaiting his attention.

The dim light from the hallway illuminated Merlin’s face with a golden glow. The angles of his nose, his ears, his cheeks, softened in the shadows. The lips that Arthur longed to kiss beckoned to be touched again. If only Arthur hadn’t fucked everything up earlier.

“Merlin,” Arthur said, holding the doorknob like a lifeline. He stammered for a bit. Then his mouth got ahead of his brain and he began to issue an apology, “I don’t… I know… I’m sor—”

“Arthur… I’m sorry,” Merlin said, and the spell was broken, just as Arthur’s hand released the doorknob and Merlin slid his backpack off his shoulder.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Arthur said, finally able to breathe again.

“I do,” Merlin said. “This is my fault. I should have realized how you felt. Your mother died falling through the ice, for God’s sake.”

“That’s not it,” Arthur said, opening the door wider with a nudge of his foot. “Not all of it, at least.” He nervously passed the hat back and forth between his hands.

“You were under a lot of stress,” Merlin said, stepping into the room. “Morgana told me that you’re not the kind of person who deals well with expressing emotions.”

“She said that? I’ll kill her!” Arthur said, laughing giddily, only too happy to dismiss his irritation with Morgana if it meant that Merlin would smile at him again.

“I know,” Merlin said, shrugging his shoulders. “I think she crossed the sacred line of sibling over-sharing, but who am I to argue? I’m an only child.”

“Merlin,” Arthur said, tugging his arm and dragging Merlin the rest of the way into the room. “I’m such a fool. I’m so sorry.”

Merlin went in for a hug first. Arthur quickly reciprocated, pulling Merlin into his arms while his mind caught up with the information that Merlin wasn’t angry with him. He buried his face in Merlin’s neck and breathed in the familiar scent of sweetness mixed with a musky tinge of sweat.

“I think we overdid it a bit,” Merlin said, whispering into Arthur’s ear.

Arthur dared to press his lips against the soft skin of Merlin’s neck, pushing away Uther’s imagined voice that would surely be expressing his disapproval at Arthur’s actions.

“You’re stressed out because of the students being stranded here in the storm,” Merlin said. “You and Morgana won’t make it home for Christmas, at this rate. That must be making you sad.”

Arthur hadn’t realized that Merlin had no way of knowing the ambivalence he felt about spending Christmas with Uther. Merlin couldn’t know that it was enough for Arthur to have Morgana stranded on campus with him, along with the ragtag family of students he had met today. Having Merlin in his arms made the whole experience even better.

“The ice,” Merlin whispered. “I took advantage of you. I’m so sorry.”

Arthur tipped his head back to look at Merlin’s face, his eyes clouded with worry.

“No,” Arthur said, touching his nose to Merlin’s. “You didn’t take advantage.”

“I had just hoped that, well…” Merlin stammered. “It was kind of romantic being at the empty arena together.”

Arthur couldn’t have agreed more. He ran his knuckles down Merlin’s cheek, before pressing his lips against his. Merlin seemed to like that idea because Arthur felt his arms tighten their embrace, Merlin’s hands moving soothingly across his back. Merlin’s mouth opened slightly and his tongue snuck out to swipe over Arthur’s lips.

Arthur made a moaning sound in his throat and kicked the door shut with one foot. He dropped the hat to the floor behind Merlin and let his fingers roam over Merlin’s back and into his hair. Opening his mouth to let Merlin have his way with it, Arthur dug his fingers through the soft dark hair that, except for the wild strands that escaped from beneath the brim of his hat, was matted down into a bad case of hat-head.

Arthur felt himself letting go of the tensions of the day, deepening the kiss by sucking lightly on Merlin’s bottom lip when he began to draw away. His eyes were half-closed in lust, when he heard the peal of Merlin’s laughter.

“What?” Arthur asked, smiling involuntarily at Merlin’s glee. “What’s so funny?”

“You still have the bottle,” Merlin said, stepping out of Arthur’s embrace. He walked to the desk and raised the bottle of Captain Morgan. “I didn’t even realize it was full!”

Arthur scratched his head and stared at the bottle he had taken from Mordred earlier that morning. For all the trouble he and Merlin went through searching the ice arena for the wayward freshman, he felt entitled to crack open the bottle himself. “You know,” he began, closing the distance between the door and Merlin, “no one downstairs knows about this bottle.”

“RA Pendragon… surely you’re not suggesting…” Merlin said. He reached out and tugged at the drawstring of Arthur’s sweatpants.

Arthur grinned as Merlin tugged him closer. He planted a tiny peck of a kiss on Merlin’s lips, then took a step back. “My God, what have you done to me? I’ve known you for less than twenty-four hours and I feel like I’ve been totally corrupted,” Arthur said.

“You like it, though?” Merlin asked, cocking his head.

Arthur laughed with wild abandon, something he couldn’t remember doing in ages, “I do,” Arthur said. And with that, he wrapped his arms around Merlin again, nearly knocking him off balance as he reached to set the bottle back onto the desk. “If only I had known… before…”

“Hey, I have an idea,” Merlin whispered into Arthur’s ear. “From the sound of things, when I last talked to Will, we have absolutely no chance of getting out of here before Christmas Day. How about if we save the bottle and mix up an illicit punch for the students tomorrow night?”

Arthur drew back and looked into Merlin’s eyes, full of mischief. “I’d feel less guilty doing that, than if you and I drank the bottle ourselves,” Arthur said, after thinking about it for a moment.

“Spoken like the most noble of Resident Assistants,” Merlin said, running a hand down Arthur’s chest, his fingertips electrifying Arthur’s nerves.

“Morgana is hosting that Secret Santa gift exchange,” Arthur said.

“And Lance said there was plenty more food over at The Round Table,” Merlin said.

“It seems like we’ll be hosting our own Christmas party here at Albion U,” Arthur said.

“Hot toddies all around!” Merlin said, cheerfully.

“That sounds fantastic,” Arthur said. “And this is between you and me – we won’t tell them about the rum, until the party begins. It’ll be a surprise.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Merlin said, stepping away from Arthur, the smile still plastered to his face. “And now, I’m going to head back downstairs to try to get some sleep.”

Arthur’s brain stalled at the thought. “Wait. What? Are they all asleep downstairs now?” Arthur asked.

“I think so. It’s been a long day for everyone,” Merlin said with a yawn.

“But you don’t have a place to sleep down there,” Arthur said. He shoved his duffle aside and sat on his narrow bed.

“I can just find one of the mattresses your sister dragged out of storage,” Merlin said, with a wave of his hand. He began to walk toward the door. “There are plenty of them around. Did you see how they lined them all up against the walls the way they did—”

“Merlin,” Arthur said, a bit nervously. “Maybe it’s not entirely appropriate, but I’d love it if you’d stay here with me.”

Merlin stopped in his tracks.

“I’d like to stay here with you, too,” Merlin said, walking back to Arthur.

Arthur became warm all over at the thought of spending the night with Merlin. His bed was only an extra-long twin. But Arthur couldn’t really decide whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Merlin took Arthur’s hands and leaned over so their foreheads were nearly touching. “But I hope you don’t expect me to _put out_ when we’ve only known each other for one day,” Merlin said with deadpan seriousness.

Arthur laughed heartily. “No,” he said, freeing his hands and slipping his hands around Merlin’s waist. “I have no expectations of taking your virtue.”

“Taking my virtue?” Merlin asked, tumbling onto the bed with Arthur. “I think that ship has sailed.”

“Really?” Arthur asked in disbelief. He was intrigued and a little bit jealous. “Is there someone… now?” he asked carefully, as he wrapped Merlin in his arms and tangled their legs into a comfortable position.

“Oh, no,” Merlin said. “I’ve signed up on Plenty of Fish, but so far, I only have stories about the one that got away.”

Arthur stroked Merlin’s back with his palm. “You’re so brave,” he said. “I could never dare to do anything like that.”

Merlin dragged his fingers through Arthur’s hair. Arthur closed his eyes and leaned into Merlin’s touch. When he opened his eyes again, Merlin looked sad.

“Sweetheart?” Merlin whispered.

“Mmmm…” Arthur said, basking in the warmth of Merlin’s heat.

“How long have you felt this way?” Merlin asked.

Arthur listened to the wind howl outside, carving the snow into sculptures that changed with the direction of the wind. He wasn’t sure he knew what Merlin was getting at. “What way?” he asked.

“That you need to hide who you are…” Merlin said, without stopping his fingers from stroking Arthur’s hair. “Especially from your own family. Well, maybe not Morgana, but from… you know… your father?”

“I’ve never dared to tell him,” Arthur said with a sigh, remembering Uther’s reaction to Gustavo. “It’s too scary to think about what he would say… or do.”

Merlin’s fingers moved to trace Arthur’s cheekbones, the line of his jaw. “That must be so difficult,” he said.

“I’ve never really thought about it being difficult or not… I’ve just done it,” Arthur said, wondering how long he had been concerned with keeping his feelings in check.

“My mother says I came out to her when I was in Kindergarten,” Merlin giggled.

“Kindergarten?” Arthur said, tightening his grip on Merlin’s waist. “That’s impossible.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Merlin said. “My teacher, Mrs. Doherty, made me call home to tell my mother that I had been caught kissing Gilli Martin in the broom closet when we had indoor recess.”

“You didn’t,” Arthur laughed, kissing Merlin’s lips. “You sly thing, you.”

“Oh, rest assured, I reformed my promiscuous ways since then, and refrained from kissing every boy with blond hair and big blue eyes that I saw,” Merlin said softly.

“Glad to hear it,” Arthur said. “At least it narrows down the competition.”

Arthur buried his face against Merlin’s neck. He sucked a soft kiss into the skin beneath Merlin’s ear, listening to Merlin’s breathing change with the sensation. It warmed him to discover the places where Merlin was most sensitive.

“You’re in college now, Arthur,” Merlin said, continuing to trail his fingers over Arthur’s face and hair. “People are a lot more open minded about these things. You can’t hide from yourself forever. And besides, would you really want to?”

Arthur didn’t say anything. He just let himself melt into Merlin’s touch as he massaged his scalp, his shoulders, his back. Arthur couldn’t remember ever feeling so safe and secure in the company of another.

“I feel sad that I won’t be able to make it home for Christmas,” Merlin said, stretching his legs out on the narrow bed, fingers still touching Arthur gently. “It’s just me and my Mum.”

“She’ll understand,” Arthur said, pressing a kiss to Merlin’s messy hair, “about the roads and the travel.”

Merlin tilted his head so they were facing each other nose to nose. “Yeah, but I’ve never spent a Christmas apart from her,” he said.

Arthur tucked Merlin closer to him and Merlin rested his head on Arthur’s chest. Arthur couldn't imagine what it must be like for Merlin to actually miss his mother during the holidays. Uther never cared much about family togetherness over Christmas. He was more concerned with making sure the Pendragons gave each other the most opulent gifts.

Arthur stroked Merlin’s hair and listened to him breathe.

Arthur remembered the year that Uther had erupted with fury when Igraine’s sister, Nimueh, took Arthur and Morgana on a Caribbean cruise over the winter break. It meant that Uther would have to outdo her when it came to bestowing gifts on the children in the years that followed. Uther was nothing, if not competitive. Arthur supposed that’s where he got the trait, something he was born with and couldn’t rid himself of no matter how he tried.

Arthur suddenly became aware of Merlin’s soft snores in his ear.

Arthur knew that Merlin had been awake, sanding and plowing the roads since the storm began. It came as no surprise that he had fallen asleep. Arthur chuckled to himself, careful not to wake him. He pressed a kiss to Merlin’s hair, grateful that he’d have the chance to spend more time with him tomorrow. Carefully, he extricated himself from Merlin’s arms and slipped out of bed. He made a quick stop in the bathroom to pee and brush his teeth. Shutting off the light, Arthur crawled onto the bed beside Merlin again. He pulled the comforter over them both, their shared warmth more than ample to stave off the cold of the snow and wind just outside the window. As he watched Merlin sleep peacefully, he didn’t even mind that he had missed the opportunity for a hot make-out session.

* * * 

Arthur slept soundly beside Merlin. He had never before dared to imagine what it would be like to have a boyfriend, but as he fell asleep, he mulled the idea over in his mind. Maybe there was nothing to fear. As Merlin had suggested, maybe Arthur was wrong to have been hiding from himself all these years. 

If he dared to tell his father… what could possibly go wrong? Arthur suspected Uther would yell a lot and try to tell Arthur he was making a mistake. But after the dust settled, what would there be left for Uther to threaten him with? Even if he refused to give him a position at Pendragon LLC, there were other businesses that would be lucky to have Arthur on their staff, especially when he got his degree from Albion U. And, it was unlikely that his father would disown him, no matter what news Arthur shared about his preference for Merlin over whatever society princesses his father sought to parade in front of him. He was Uther’s only son, and although he didn’t show it all the time, Uther cherished him and Morgana beyond all reason.

Thoughts of Uther’s reaction still ran through Arthur’s mind when he awoke in Merlin’s embrace. It felt good to sleep beside Merlin, the warmth of his body and spirit calmed Arthur and gave him a sense of well-being and happiness that he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

In the faint morning light, he watched Merlin sleep. Merlin’s mouth hung open as he snored contentedly, his hair twisted in every which direction. He looked utterly adorable, and his lips begged to be kissed. He was so deliciously sleep-warm, Arthur didn’t dare move from his side, but Arthur was painfully aware of how easy it would be to nudge Merlin’s thigh with his morning erection. He was just about to kiss Merlin awake, when a knock came on the door.

Arthur grumbled and slid out of bed, his bare feet touching the chilly rug.

“Morgana?” Arthur said, when he saw his sister standing in the hall. “What are you doing here? Is everything all right?”

“I’d say it’s more than all right,” Morgana said with a smile, nodding at Merlin who stirred in Arthur’s bed.

“It’s…” Arthur stuttered, before guiding Morgana backwards and joining her in the hall. “It’s none of your business.”

“Of course it isn’t,” Morgana smirked. “You’re welcome to spend the night with whoever grabs your attention, but I must say, Merlin is a particularly fine catch.” With that, Morgana raised her hand to give Arthur a high five.

Arthur was certain that his face had turned several shades of red. “What do you want?” he asked again, softly so Merlin wouldn’t hear. Arthur was somewhat relieved that Morgana thought nothing more than what a good catch Merlin was for him, and not that Uther was going to disown him, throw him out of Camelot, and make Morgana the CEO of Pendragon LLC.

“I came to tell you that breakfast is served,” Morgana said.

“What time is it?” Arthur asked looking around, lost without his cellphone in his pocket. “It’s still snowing?”

“It’s nine o’clock already and it’s still snowing like mad,” Morgana said. “Lance and the guys stomped a path from Lancaster to The Round Table. And Lance is whipping up a pancake breakfast as we speak. I knew you wouldn’t want to sleep through it, no matter whose company you were keeping.” Morgana waggled her eyebrows.

Arthur’s stomach grumbled as he shook his head at Morgana. It had been a while since he last ate, and he was dying for a cup of coffee.

“Oh, hi Merlin,” Morgana said brightly, giving a little wave into the room behind Arthur.

Arthur rolled his eyes.

“Hi Morgana,” Merlin said with a yawn. “We just woke up.”

“Don’t give her any more ammunition than she already has,” Arthur called back into the room. “She’s an evil witch and she’ll only use it against you.”

Merlin laughed from the bed and turned onto his side, pulling the covers up to his chin.

“Listen, we’ll be down in a half-hour,” Arthur said. “And I don’t need you spreading rumors about me while we’re upstairs.”

“Who? Me?” Morgana asked. Arthur could swear he heard her cackle as she descended the stairs.

Arthur shut the door behind her and turned his attention to Merlin. “Bad news,” he said.

“Let me guess,” Merlin said from the bed, where he had folded his arms behind his head. “You’ve just realized what a boner-killer your sister is?”

Arthur laughed and crawled onto the bed, trapping Merlin beneath the comforter. “I knew that a long time ago,” he said, grabbing Merlin’s wrists and pinning them on each side of his pillow. He kissed Merlin long and hard, paying no attention to the snow that still fell outside the window.

Merlin moaned wantonly as Arthur kissed his way down his neck. Arthur’s morning erection regained its interest and Arthur couldn’t refrain from canting his hips forward to press his cock against Merlin.

“Arthur,” Merlin whispered.

Arthur stretched out, his body covering Merlin, the comforter between them. He groaned when he realized Merlin’s cock was just as hard as his.

“Arthur…” Merlin said again, soft and low.

“What…” Arthur murmured, lost in the feeling of arousal. He let go of Merlin’s wrists and felt Merlin wrap his arms around him.

“We need to slow down,” Merlin said. “I don’t want to rush... this…”

Arthur drew back and met Merlin’s eyes.

“Do you want to stop? You don’t want to…?” Arthur asked.

Merlin smiled and said, “No, it’s not that.”

“But…” Arthur prodded him.

Merlin played with the hem of Arthur’s shirt. “You’re gorgeous, Arthur. And I like you a lot. I don’t want to ruin this… whatever we have between us… not with a quick and sloppy hand job before we run next door.”

Arthur’s cock jumped at the thought of getting a hand job from Merlin, but he knew Merlin was right. The feelings Arthur had for Merlin came from deep in his heart. He cared about Merlin, yet now here he was, humping him like a dog. Merlin deserved better. Arthur sighed against Merlin’s neck.

“As much as it pains me to stop you, did I hear something about pancakes?” Merlin asked.

“You did,” Arthur said. “We’d better get down there before Morgana makes up too many stories about us that we can’t refute.”

“That’s true,” Merlin whispered. And then, he suddenly yelled, “Especially since she’s still right outside the door!”

Arthur listened carefully.

“I really am going to kill her,” Arthur said, leaping from the bed to throw open the door. But he was too late. Morgana was gone, the hallway quiet, except for the unmistakable stomping of her UGGs as she fled down the stairs.

Arthur quickly dressed while Merlin used the bathroom to brush his teeth and change his T-shirt. They ran down the flights of stairs, bumping and shoving teasingly into each other the whole way. In the common room, Gwaine and Elena loaded more wood into the fireplace.

“Good morning, you two,” Elena said cheerfully.

“Good morning! Hey, is everyone still over at The Round Table?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah,” Gwaine said. “They’ve got a pancake breakfast happening over there.”

“It’s chilly, though,” Elena said. “So we came back here to keep the fire going so it will be warm when everyone comes back from breakfast.”

“Thanks, that was nice of you,” Arthur said. He zipped his coat up and waited for Merlin to find his jacket among the clutter strewn around the common room.

“We’re going back over there for shopping, just as soon as we’re done here,” Gwaine said.

“Do you want us to wait for you?” Merlin asked shoving his arms into the sleeves of his jacket and wrapping his scarf around his neck.

“No, go ahead,” Elena said. “We’ll just meet you there.”

Arthur supposed there was no danger in letting students wander around campus on their own, now that they were all familiar with the well-trod path to The Round Table and the Isle of Avalon. He watched Merlin pull his foolish-looking hat onto his head. Then Arthur and Merlin stepped out into the storm and followed in the footprints of the others.

The snow had piled up in the night. On each side of the path, the snow was up to Arthur’s waist. He was grateful that the students had gotten an early start making a passable way to the café and store.

As soon as he set foot into The Round Table, Arthur was greeted by the smell of pancakes and sausage.

“I sort of raided the freezer,” Lance said, as he stood at the griddle with a spatula in his hand. “I’ve got lasagna thawing out for later tonight. From the sound of the weather report, we’ll still be here.”

“I think that raiding the freezer is completely acceptable, Lance, under the circumstances,” Arthur said.

“Pull up a chair, boys,” Mithian said. “How many pancakes do you want?”

Arthur looked around the dining area. Vivian and Sophia were finishing their coffee at one table. At another, Percy and Leon were shoveling down pancakes. Freya was wiping down the empty tables with a wet rag. Where his sister was, he could only guess.

“I think I’ll start with two,” Merlin said, sitting in a plastic chair.

“Only two?” Arthur asked. “We need to get some meat on your bones. You’re such a skinny thing.”

“Bring some extra sausage for RA Pendragon,” Merlin said. “He needs something to keep his mouth occupied.”

Mithian laughed and poured them each a cup of coffee. “You’re lucky there’s any food left at all, after you slept in,” Mithian said.

Arthur waited for some snide remark to come, but Mithian only smiled and brought two plates of sausage and pancakes over to them from Lance.

“Where’s everyone else?” Arthur asked as he dug into his breakfast.

“There over at the Isle of Avalon,” Sophia said.

“We’re heading there too,” Freya said, dropping her rag onto an empty table. “You boys can all clean up after yourselves.”

“You’d better hurry before all the nice things are sold,” Vivian said, rising from her chair with Sophia to join Mithian.

Just then, Gwaine and Elena arrived and stomped the snow off their feet in the entryway. They went to the counter where Lance served them both fresh cups of coffee.

While he and Merlin ate, Arthur watched the assembly of excited students pass through the sliding glass doors that connected The Round Table with the Isle of Avalon. “So, whose name did you get in the drawing?” Arthur asked as he sipped at his coffee.

“Can’t say,” Merlin said, his eyes bright and sparkling. It’s called a _Secret_ Santa for a reason.”

Arthur chuckled, but didn’t press the issue. He already knew exactly what he was going to buy as a gift for Merlin. He tried to contain his grin while they finished eating. After clearing their plates away and helping Lance clean up the kitchen, Arthur and Merlin headed for the store where they joined the others.

The air of excitement rivaled that of a Black Friday sale, but on a much smaller scale. Gwen stood at The Isle of Avalon cash register, ringing up sales. The students chattered about what a great idea the Secret Santa was while Morgana ran the gift-wrap table as discreetly as she could. It wouldn’t be much fun if the students could guess their gift-buyers. In some cases, the buyers made a good-natured game of guessing what their recipients wanted for a gift.

Lance had obviously enlisted Mithian to question Gwen, “Do you like these earrings better? Or _these_ earrings,” Mithian asked. “Now tell me, how long have you known Lance and what size hockey shirt do you think he wears?”

There was much laughter.

Gwen provided bags to the shoppers so they could hide their purchases from curious eyes. Arthur quickly chose his gift for Merlin when he wasn’t looking. After a quick trip to the cash register, he waited his turn in line for Morgana to work her magic with the wrapping paper and bows.

Elena was convinced that Gwaine had chosen her name, but if he did, he denied it convincingly. Unable to keep a secret, Elena had shared her giftee’s name with Gwaine and the searched together for the perfect gift.

Freya and Vivian helped Leon decide between different brands of hair products, shampoos and conditioners, and even a hot oil treatment. He didn’t stop shopping until his bag was full.

When everyone finished buying all manner of clothing, trinkets, and items that had previously gone unsold in the school store, the students began to filter back to the warmth of Lancaster Commons. It was already lunchtime when Lance brought his sled to the Isle of Avalon to collect the gifts. He and Percy loaded the sled with the beautifully-wrapped packages, and together they hauled it through the falling snow and across the campus to Lancaster. 

Morgana orchestrated the arranging of the gifts beneath the Christmas tree, directing Arthur to place each box meticulously, to maximize the festive appearance of their decked-out tree. While the students nibbled on yesterday’s leftovers for lunch, Lance reminded them to save room for the lasagna that baked in The Round Table kitchen. When Morgana finally proclaimed that everything looked perfect, she called upon Merlin to take some photographs, but first, she pulled Merlin aside for a private conversation. 

Arthur felt a tinge of jealousy when he watched Merlin and Morgana talking and laughing together, although he knew he had no reason for it. These feelings of protectiveness were new to Arthur and he suspected it would take some time before he could deal with them. He shoved the feeling down and joined Merlin and Morgana when it appeared they were finished with their conversation.

“Hey, Arthur?” Merlin said. “Can I use your laptop for a while before dinner?”

“Of course you can,” Arthur said. “Do you want to use it in my room, or do you want me to bring it down here?”

“Down here would be fine, as long as I can get some quiet time to work on a project,” Merlin said. And then he took Arthur aside and whispered in his ear. “It’s kind of a surprise, so no peeking over my shoulder.”

Arthur smiled. “I’m not sure that I like surprises,” Arthur said.

Merlin pinched Arthur’s side, tickling him. “Trust me, you’ll like this one,” he said.

After Arthur brought Merlin his laptop, he barely saw him again all afternoon. Merlin had holed himself away in one of the quiet study rooms, and he shooed Arthur away every time he checked on him. The fact that he kissed Arthur soundly, before sending him away, made Arthur worry less about whatever secret project he and Morgana had devised.

Meanwhile, Arthur had his own secret project to manage. With Lance’s help, he concocted a punch from every available fruit juice that was left in Lance’s kitchen… and he added one bottle of Captain Morgan to the mix.

As the day wore on, the students had grown tired of watching the same blizzard warning on the television. Arthur texted Uther to let him know that all was well and he needn’t worry. Merlin heard from Will and Gaius. The storm had dropped nearly four feet of snow already, but there were signs that it was moving slowly out to sea. If that happened, the snowplows might be able to resume snow removal efforts in the morning. While that was good news, Arthur was most grateful to have another night to spend with Merlin.

As the students gathered in the common room for their lasagna buffet, Arthur had an announcement to make. He walked to the front of the room, where the fireplace crackled. The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the room as Lance, Percy, and Leon moved the trays of lasagna from the sled to the long table.

“If I may have your attention,” Arthur began.

The rumble of student voices quieted and everyone turned toward Arthur.

Arthur cleared his throat before speaking, “It seems like we are going to be stuck here for another night,” he said.

Gwaine wolf-whistled loudly, making the students laugh.

When the crowd quieted down, Arthur smiled and continued, “I know most of you would rather be home with your family and friends on Christmas Eve, but I’d say this is the next best thing. We have food, thanks to Lance…”

A round of applause broke out and Lance stood and took a bow from his place at the table.

“We have all the holiday trimmings,” Arthur said, his eyed drifting to the lights that twinkled along the spiral staircase railing. “We have a gorgeous tree that looks like Santa has already visited it, thanks to Gwen and my sister, and really each and every one of you.”

A smattering of applause filled the common room. 

Arthur raised his glass of punch. “You have all had a hand in making what could have been a disastrous experience into one filled with new friendships, with Christmas cheer, and with the spirit of Albion University. Please join me in a toast to this most memorable Christmas Eve – and yes, you’ve been fairly warned, although it’s not typically my style to break rules, there is a substantial amount of rum in this punch.”

A cheer went up as everyone toasted the holiday, the clink of glasses tinkling in the air as each student toasted with their neighbor. And if the rules were broken, no one seemed to mind a bit. Especially not Arthur. He walked back to his place beside Merlin and touched his glass to Merlin’s.

“Merry Christmas,” he said.

“Merry Christmas _Eve_ ,” Merlin corrected him with a smile.

Arthur was seized with the urge to kiss him right then and there, but he reminded himself that they’d have the whole rest of Christmas Eve to spend together.

* * * 

The students grabbed their plates and got in line for the buffet. Lance dished out the lasagna from the huge trays. Gwen cheerfully assisted Lance with the serving, slicing the bread and doling out meatballs from a huge vat of marinara sauce. Everyone helped themselves to more of Arthur’s special punch, imbibing until the bowl ran dry.

The common room filled with good cheer from the lively conversations. The warmth of the fire and glowing Christmas lights brightened everyone’s spirits.

“That was a nice speech you made there,” Merlin said, as he wiped the sauce from his plate with a slice of bread.

Arthur smiled as he stabbed another forkful of lasagna.

Mithian chimed in from the sofa beside them. “I like what you said about this being a good runner-up to spending time with our own families,” she said.

“It’s true, too,” Percy said. “I have four brothers at home. I wouldn’t get near as much attention with them around.”

“And not half as much food to eat,” Freya said slapping Percy’s arm.

“You’ve made us into a big happy family,” Gwen said from the sofa she shared with Lance.

“Thanks, Gwen,” Arthur said. He was thrilled that the students took his message in the spirit that it was given, not from an RA, but from a peer, a peer who could be both a leader and a friend.

When the students finished eating and Percy and Gwaine had hauled the last of the dishes back to the Round Table for Lance and his volunteers to handle in the morning, the common room was quiet for the first time all day. Arthur sat beside Merlin on the sofa. He felt the warmth from Merlin’s thigh where it touched his own slightly. Satisfied from the delicious meal and gently buzzed from the rum, Arthur wanted nothing more than to curl up next to Merlin in bed. Feeling bold, he slid an arm around Merlin’s shoulders. If anyone noticed, they didn’t say a word. He felt Merlin relax, and tilt his head so it rested on Arthur’s. Arthur contentedly began to doze off.

He was vaguely aware that Leon carried a guitar to the front of the room.

“Where did you get that from?” Gwaine asked.

“It was left in the Lost and Found bin at The Round Table months ago,” Lance explained.

“The projection screen is all set,” Percy told Morgana.

Arthur’s eyes drifted toward his sister who stood, positively beaming, in front of the fire.

“And now, if you would all give me your attention,” Morgana announced.

Merlin straightened beside Arthur, which roused Arthur awake. “What’s going on?” Arthur whispered.

“You’ll see,” Merlin said, his eyes twinkling bright in the kaleidoscope of color from the Christmas lights. 

Arthur hadn’t noticed that the main lights of the room ad been dimmed, so only the fire and the decorations illuminated the room in a soft glow.

“First of all,” Morgana said, “in case no one has noticed, it has finally stopped snowing!”

A loud cheer went up from the crowd as everyone laughed and embraced.

“And second of all, it will still be a while before we are plowed out, so I’m going to turn this platform over to our own campus snowplow driver, Mr. Merlin Emrys,” Morgana said, clapping her hands wildly. “Let’s all give him a big Albion U welcome.”

Arthur looked at Merlin curiously, but Merlin’s grin told him all he needed to know. Merlin patted Arthur’s arm, extracted himself from Arthur’s embrace, and walked to the front of the room.

“Thanks, Morgana,” Merlin said, applauding her. When the crowd quieted down, he spoke again.

“Some of you may know that I’m a photographer,” Merlin began.

Many of the students murmured in acknowledgement.

“I grew up not far from here, in Ealdor. One of our Christmas Eve traditions in Ealdor was to go to midnight mass with our families. My best friend Will, and his parents, my mother and me, all our other neighbors and school friends would go,” Merlin said excitedly. “And when we arrived home, many presents with my name on them would be piled under our Christmas tree. Now, of course, it was very late at night, but my mother always allowed me to open one present the night before Santa delivered the rest while I was asleep. It was a memorable way to kick off the Christmas holiday – for a little kid like me, at least.”

Arthur laughed softly. He could imagine young Merlin’s excitement at getting to open a gift before Christmas morning.

“So, tonight, we have our beautiful Christmas tree, with all these gifts,” Merlin continued, pointing toward the tree, its bright lights twinkling. “And I pleaded with Morgana for her to allow one of these Secret Santa gifts to be revealed tonight.”

“And I said it was okay,” Morgana yelled from her spot on the sofa between Mithian and Vivian.

“It’ll be a little like Ealdor in that way,” Merlin said.

Arthur could only smile at the way Merlin handled the crowd. It was no wonder he was an admired teacher. His sense of timing and his alluring presence made Arthur love him even more.

Merlin continued speaking, “In Ealdor, we don’t think too much of fancy cars, the latest video game systems, or expensive jewelry. No, we value homemade things more than the gifts you can buy in a store. That’s always been our way, to value the things that come from the heart, above everything else. So, when I drew Arthur Pendragon’s name in the Secret Santa drawing, I knew I’d have to make him something really special.”

“Awww…” Freya said. “That’s so sweet.”

“So, without further delay,” Merlin said. “Here’s your present, Arthur. I hope you like it.”

Merlin stepped away from the fireplace while everyone clapped.

At the head of the room, Leon sat in one chair and Sophia in the other. Leon softly strummed the abandoned guitar softly. Funny, Arthur didn’t even know he could play the guitar. Above Leon and Sophia’s heads, a projection screen streamed a PowerPoint presentation from Arthur’s laptop.

“You’ve been planning this all day,” Arthur said, taking Merlin’s hand, when he returned to join him on the sofa.

“Merry Christmas,” Merlin whispered, sliding into place beside him.

Sophia’s voice rose above the notes of the guitar as the slide show began.

“Silent night… holy night… All is calm… all is bright…” Sophia sang.

Merlin’s photographs had all been taken during the past two days. They depicted the students as they participated in the activities while the storm raged on.

“Round yon virgin… Mother and child…”

The outdoor scenery was breathtaking when captured through Merlin’s lens. Each picture was rendered only in black and white, like something out of an Ansel Adams collection. The campus came alive through the shots of things as simple as an icicle, a snow-covered branch, a frozen bridge. 

“Holy infant… so tender and mild…”

The photographs of the students were every bit as magical. Gwen’s eyes gleaming brightly as she hung an ornament on the tree. Morgana’s surprised smile when she unwrapped a platter of pastries Lance brought to Lancaster Commons. Gwaine hauling an armload of snow-covered firewood from the deck. The glow of firelight as it played on Leon’s hair. 

“Sleep in heavenly peace… ”

Photographs of Arthur as he sat with Sophia, images of Freya and Percival, Elena and Gwaine. Every slide was a reminder of the time they had shared. Arthur knew that Merlin had worked for a long time putting it together just perfectly. He vowed that he wouldn’t ever let anything dampen the joy he felt looking at the slides, not even the knowledge that he’d be reunited with his father in Camelot tomorrow if the weather report was right. He wiped a tear from his eye and pulled Merlin in for a kiss, whispering, “Thank you,” against his lips.

“Sleep in heavenly peace.”

After a hearty round of applause and many pats on the back for Merlin, Arthur announced that Santa would not be coming unless they all went to sleep. Lance had prepared a special batch of cookies just for the occasion. Arthur left the plate of cookies by the fireplace and turned to face the students. “Thank you all for making this the most memorable Christmas I’ve ever had.”

“Thanks to Merlin,” Morgana shouted.

“And now, a merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night,” Arthur said. And if anyone saw him follow Merlin upstairs to the fourth floor, they didn’t say a thing.

Arthur caught up to Merlin before he reached the door to his room. Arthur threw his arms around Merlin and kissed him hard while Merlin searched Arthur’s pockets for the key. When they finally got inside, Merlin tugged Arthur into the tiny bathroom and stripped off his own shirt. Arthur raked his fingers over Merlin’s naked chest, lingering at the whorls of black hair that sprouted between his nipples. He dipped his head to lick at one of the tight buds, making it swell beneath his tongue. Merlin moaned and reached into the shower stall, twisting the knob to turn on the hot water.

“Hmm…. We’re showering first?” Arthur asked. “Won’t we just get sweaty later?”

“We can take more than one shower,” Merlin said, his eyes half closed with lust as he fumbled with his belt.

Before Arthur knew it, Merlin was naked and tugging at the hem of Arthur’s shirt. Arthur felt the steam from the hot water begin to fill the room. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor. Merlin mouthed at his neck, pressing kisses down Arthur’s chest. Arthur felt Merlin drop to his knees, taking both Arthur’s jeans and his boxers to the floor with him.

And then Merlin’s mouth was on Arthur’s cock, his hands bracketing Arthur’s hips as he sucked him. Arthur’s knees buckled. He had received a few blowjobs in his freshman year, but the inexperienced girls had nothing on Merlin. Arthur’s head dropped back against the tile of the bathroom wall as he whimpered under Merlin’s tongue. When he dared open his eyes to see Merlin looking up at him, his pink lips stretched wide around Arthur’s cock, he knew he was done for. He reached down and stopped his orgasm before he spent down Merlin’s throat.

Merlin slipped his hands over Arthur’s ass and pulled himself up to standing. He laughed and jabbed a pointed finger at Arthur’s chest until he got the message and backed up into the shower stall. Hot water and soapy hands on naked skin had never felt so good to Arthur before. They lathered each other up, washing off the grime of the past two days, while they took time to explore the effects of curious fingers on sensitive flesh.

When they were both rinsed clean, Arthur shut off the water and tossed a towel over Merlin’s head. While Merlin dried his hair, Arthur ran a dry towel over Merlin’s body, mopping up the beads of water that ran from his neck to his feet. He teased Merlin’s cock with a tug or two as he dried him, enjoying, for the first time, the feeling of freedom to touch, to taste, and to love a man’s body. 

With his hair a wet, dark, and wild nest, Merlin used his towel to dry Arthur’s hair, kneading his towel-covered fingers through the silky blond locks. He barely got started running the towel across Arthur’s back when Arthur dragged him out of the bathroom and onto the bed.

Naked, Arthur straddled Merlin’s thighs. He ran his hands along Merlin’s torso, while Merlin propped himself on his elbows so their mouths could meet. Merlin panted in anticipation as their cocks brushed against each other’s. Arthur’s heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest.

For all his life, Arthur was the last person to admit that he didn’t know how to do something. He’d always come out on top by simply doing his best and giving it the old college try. But he wasn’t going to leave this to chance.

“Merlin,” Arthur whispered.

“Mmmm?” Merlin moaned through his kisses.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing,” Arthur admitted. “But I want to.”

“You’re doing fine, Arthur,” Merlin whispered. “Here, let me get out from under you.”

Arthur was pretty sure that Merlin wasn’t going to run away like Arthur had done at the ice arena when things got hot and heavy, so he obliged and let Merlin shimmy free. With Merlin gone, Arthur’s chest settled on the mattress, his cock trapped between his belly and the comforter.

“There you go,” Merlin said, dropping kisses along Arthur’s spine. He shifted Arthur’s legs so he was on his knees, his cock dangling below him, dripping clear slick onto the bedding. 

“That’s it, now push back toward me,” Merlin said, his palms gentle on Arthur’s back.

Arthur felt the muscles of his thighs strain with the effort. Merlin’s hands were warm on the globes of his ass and his fingers danced over the firm skin. Arthur fisted the sheets with the pleasure of it all when he felt the tiniest spark cascade down his spine and into the core of his belly.

“Was that what I thought it was?” Arthur asked.

When Merlin didn’t answer, and the sensation came again, there was no doubt in Arthur’s mind that it was the soft touch of Merlin’s tongue as it wetly brushed over his hole that had sent Arthur’s arousal flying.

“Oh God, Merlin,” Arthur practically shouted.

He managed to quiet himself at the last minute, although there was no chance of anyone hearing him three floors below.

“Just take deep breaths,” Merlin said. Arthur could tell he was smiling. “You’re doing fine. It feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Merlin, my God,” Arthur whispered as Merlin pressed forward for another swipe, his tongue gently licking along the edge of Arthur’s most private place.

Arthur couldn’t believe Merlin was doing this to him. He never imagined that something so filthy could feel so good. His thighs trembled with the sensations he experienced for the first time. His orgasm crashed over him and Merlin kept licking, holding him fast with one arm wrapped around his thighs while he stripped Arthur’s cock with his free hand.

Before this, Arthur never would have agreed to do such a thing to another person, but with Merlin, and knowing how good it felt, he couldn’t wait to try for himself. He only hoped that his fingers and tongue would be as skilled as Merlin’s and that he’d be able to bring Merlin to orgasm as smoothly as Merlin did him.

Arthur shuddered one last time before collapsing flat against the sheets, a mess of come splattered beneath him. He felt Merlin’s hand leave him, as Merlin sat back on his haunches and jerked his own cock, his warm come landing on Arthur’s back.

Arthur smiled as he listened to Merlin’s breathing return to normal.

“Next time I promise I’ll be more of a help,” Arthur said with a smile.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Merlin said. He grabbed a discarded towel and cleaned the come off Arthur’s back. Stretching out beside him, Merlin tried to work the towel between Arthur and the bedding, but Arthur just pulled him close and kissed him.

“That was amazing,” Arthur said, brushing the hair out of Merlin’s eyes, hoping that he could sense how much this meant to Arthur. “Is this part of my Secret Santa present?”

“If it is, I bet you got the best present under the tree downstairs,” Merlin said with a laugh.

“I’m glad you drew my name, then,” Arthur said. He ducked his head into the hollow of Merlin’s neck. “It puts my cheesy gift for you to shame, though.”

The realization that Arthur had drawn Merlin’s name dawned in Merlin’s smile.

“Maybe next time, you can try to keep up. That will be present enough,” Merlin said with a grin that made Arthur squirm.

“I’m just glad to know there’ll be a _next_ time,” Arthur said.

“Oh, yes,” Merlin laughed. “You are going to need many more practice times if you want to be my boyfriend.”

 _Boyfriend._ Arthur liked the sound of that. If it was Morgana’s secret goal to find a boyfriend for Arthur over Christmas break, he’d have to say she was successful.

He kissed the top of Merlin’s head.

“Boyfriend,” Arthur said, liking the way it sounded when he said it aloud.

Despite his slender frame, Merlin’s body radiated with a heat that warmed Arthur from the outside in. Arthur hitched a leg over Merlin’s thighs, wanting to capture the warmth and keep the memory of it all for himself, something he would cherish in his own lonely dorm room for the rest of the school year.

“I never thought I’d feel this way,” Arthur said.

That was about all he could muster to describe how he felt and he was grateful that Merlin seemed to understand. He felt Merlin’s fingers pressing against the back of his neck, felt him tug Arthur closer and brush their lips together.

No, he never thought he would have this. A man of his very own to play with, to love, to share all the secrets he had harbored over the years. And Merlin was that special man.

* * * 

“Good morning sleepyhead,” Arthur whispered.

Merlin yawned adorably and stretched his arms out to the sides, quivering as his muscles awakened.

Arthur reached for him and pressed his fingertips to Merlin’ cheek. He detected a soft blush creeping across Merlin’s pale skin and he hoped he wasn’t embarrassed for everything they had done when they made love the night before.

Merlin took Arthur’s hand and kissed his fingers. “Merry Christmas,” Merlin said.

“And a merry Christmas to you too,” Arthur said.

Merlin smiled back at him and Arthur knew that all was right in his world. He slid closer to Merlin and laid a trail of kisses along Merlin’s neck. Merlin hummed happily and rolled onto his side while Arthur stroked his flank, his palm stopping at the dip of his waist. Burying the fingers of one hand in Merlin’s hair, Arthur pulled Merlin in for a proper kiss. Their lips met softly as the morning light streamed through the window, no storm’s fury to block the sun. Merlin purred as Arthur’s fingers brushed over the soft hair of his belly and lower to where his cock rose from a riot of black curls.

Suddenly, but not unexpectedly, there were footsteps in the hall. “Come on you guys!” Morgana shouted as she rapped her knuckles on the door. “It’s time to open presents.”

Arthur flopped onto his back, letting go of Merlin.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Merlin said.

“I promise you, next semester, I’m going to rent an apartment off-campus,” Arthur said. “I’m going to start looking for one today.”

They quickly dressed and ran down the stairs, rather than face Morgana’s all-knowing smirk.

In the common room, the excitement of Christmas morning filled the air, along with the scent of fresh cinnamon rolls that Lance had whipped up from scratch when he raided the kitchen’s stores again. An urn of fresh coffee ensured that everyone would be awake when they were rescued by their family members who would whisk them home.

Arthur joined the others on the sofas that surrounded the fireplace, their home away from home for the past three days. The news from the television held the students’ interest even less than it had during the storm. Instead, they chattered about the journeys they each would make as soon as the snowplows reached the campus. 

Vivian looked up from her cellphone and announced that her father had left home and was halfway to the university already. Elena’s arms tightened around Gwaine as he played with her hair.

“That’s wonderful news, Vivian,” Morgana said, passing her a package wrapped with a pretty bow.

“Elyan’s finally gotten off shift,” Gwen said, sipping her coffee. “He’ll be here soon.”

“That’s great,” Lance said, dropping another tray of iced cinnamon buns onto the low table in front of the crackling fireplace.

Switching the walkie-talkie off, Merlin joined Arthur on the sofa, after Morgana handed him a gift bag, its contents obscured by crinkled tissue paper of every color.

“Will says that even when it finally stopped snowing last night, there was still blowing snow that covered the roads, making many of the local ones impassible,” Merlin said.

“The highway’s open though?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah,” Merlin said. “They got the highway opened last night, but they had to close it down again when people wouldn’t obey the speed limit. Black ice formed as the temperatures dropped.”

“There were more accidents?” Arthur asked.

“A few, but things got cleared up enough this morning,” Merlin said. “Will ought to be here soon.”

Arthur took his cellphone from his pocket and reluctantly checked the train schedule. There were many delays, but it appeared that the trains were running to Camelot again. He sighed and tucked his phone away.

“Okay everyone should have their gift now. Give a yell if you don’t have one – except for Arthur who _got his_ last night,” Morgana shouted, winking in Arthur’s direction. She had taken a spot on the sofa nearest the fireplace. “Thanks for the cinnamon rolls, Lance. They smell great.”

Merlin leaned over to the table and plopped a gooey roll onto a plate. Arthur watched him lick the icing from his fingers. As he watched Merlin’s pink tongue slipping outside his mouth, he was reminded of the many talents Merlin had displayed the night before.

“Giving you any ideas?” Merlin whispered.

“What?” Arthur asked, blushing as he quickly met Merlin’s eyes.

“You were staring,” Merlin said.

“Well, then… when you… with your…” Arthur stammered.

“My work here is done, I see,” Merlin said with a laugh.

Arthur nudged him playfully with his knee.

“Merlin?” Morgana asked from across the way, “Do you think the other snowplow will get here soon?”

Merlin nodded to her. “He’s on his way. It won’t be long now,” Merlin said.

Arthur thought Morgana looked sad for a moment. He supposed she’d be sorry to see her time in the spotlight come to an end.

Morgana put her coffee aside and got to her feet.

“Okay, people!” she shouted. “This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for!”

“I think it’s the moment _she’s_ been waiting for,” Percy whispered to Freya, who giggled at his silliness.

“I know you’re all dying to find out what you got,” Morgana continued. “So, without further delay, let’s open our gifts. Ready? Set? Go!”

A wild frenzy of gift-opening ensued, with wrapping paper shredded and tossed aside. The students emitted both cheers and sighs as the gifts were revealed.

Freya had given Mithian an Albion University scarf because she had noticed she didn’t have one to cover her neck on the night the freshman girls were rescued with Christmas carols. Morgana gave Elena boxes of assorted condoms, laughing that if she got any closer to Gwaine, she’d have to drop out in her sophomore year to give birth.

Gwaine gave Vivian a box of truffles because Elena had divulged that her friend had a sweet tooth. Elena gave Sophia a beautiful journal in which to write her memories, good and bad, but probably none with so much drama as she experienced in these past few days with Cenred dumping her and the students being stranded at Albion U. Gwen squealed with delight when she got the earrings she wanted from Lance.

Everyone laughed when Gwaine opened his gift from Leon – an assortment of hair care products. Like a true entrepreneur, Gwen had given Freya an _I <3 Avalon_ hoodie, emblazoned with the Isle of Avalon signature phrase. 

Leon received an iTunes gift card from Vivian, who had discovered early on how much he liked music. Lance received a portable spice kit from Mithian, so he would never be far from his kitchen. Percy gave Morgana an Albion U hockey shirt, but he promised he’d replace it with one from the Raptors when he arrived back in Albion for their next scrimmage. Sophia gave Percy the largest Albion University T-shirt she could find in the school store, joking that he’d have to cut the arms off, for it to fit properly.

“Where did you even _find_ this plain thing?” Merlin asked, as he revealed his gift from Arthur.

“Is that any way to show your gratitude?” Arthur asked, pulling Merlin in for a hug.

“I suppose not,” Merlin said, dragging the simple red fleece hat from his gift bag. “But look at it! Where are the tassels? The pompom? The pigtails?”

“I’ll make up for it later,” Arthur said, as Merlin kissed him on the cheek.

“That’s getting to be a common theme with you, Pendragon,” Merlin said with a laugh. “Just remember that with ears like these, I need a hat with enough bling to divert attention from them.”

“Your ears are adorable,” Arthur said. He dipped his head to catch one of Merlin’s earlobes between his teeth, feeling Merlin flush with heat when he gently sucked.

Just then, the door to the common room burst open and two men entered, bringing with them a gust of cold air. Arthur recognized Mordred, but he had no idea who the other guy was. The two men stamped the snow from their feet into the entryway.

“Will!” Merlin shouted, leaping from the sofa to greet his friend.

The noise and bustle of the common room exploded a hundred-fold with the arrival of Will. Surely his snowplow now sat at the shuttle stop bridge just outside Lancaster Commons. Arthur rose from the sofa and went to Merlin, slinging an arm around his shoulders possessively.

Merlin didn’t hesitate. “Will, this is my boyfriend, Arthur,” Merlin said with a smile.

“Well, you certainly didn’t waste any time,” Mordred said. He shivered, even in the warmth of the common room, his clothes soaked with melting snow.

Arthur glared at Mordred. “And where have you been?” he asked. “We thought you had left the campus before the weather got bad.”

“This is the guy we were looking for?” Merlin asked, his arm slipping around Arthur’s waist.

“I found him nosing around my plow when I stopped down at the access road onto campus,” Will said. “He looked like he was about to die of hypothermia, so I shoved him into the cab so he could warm up.”

“What was he doing with the snowplow?” Merlin asked.

“Mordred,” Arthur said. “I know you’re up to no good. Where have you been these past days? What’s going on?”

“I did it to help you, Morgana,” Mordred said.

“Me?” Morgana gasped, clutching her throat. “What did you do?”

“You always said you wanted to fix your brother up with Merlin,” Mordred said, his lips blue and chin trembling from the cold.

“Morgana?” Arthur asked cautiously. His fingers dug into Merlin’s shoulder. “What is he talking about?”

“I may have said that… once or twice,” Morgana said, nervously. “But what does that have to do with anything?”

By now, everyone had gathered around Will and Mordred. They undoubtedly hoped to find out when they were going to get off campus so they could make their way home.

“You’re a senior, Morgana,” Mordred said. “Kara respects you. She listens to you and values your opinion. I think she’ll listen to you when she finds out that I helped you with your plan to fix up your brother. You can tell her how awesome I am, and encourage her to go out with me.”

“Mordred?” Morgana asked, her nostrils flaring. “What have you done?”

“Why should it matter, when it worked?” Mordred asked. He nodded at Arthur whose arm pulled Merlin closer.

Merlin patted Arthur’s hand with his own. “Don’t worry,” Merlin said. “We’ll figure this out.”

“I don’t like what you’re getting at, kid,” Will said.

“Maybe this will answer your question,” Mordred said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of spark plugs.

“What are you doing with spark plugs in your pocket?” Will asked.

“He took them out of my truck,” Merlin said.

“He must have done it when we were at York Hill,” Arthur said. “That’s when your truck decided to quit on us.”

“Morgana?” Arthur turned on his sister. “Did you ask Mordred to make sure we got stranded here?”

“I… not really…” Morgana stumbled over her words. “It wasn’t exactly like that.”

“Let me guess,” Arthur said. “You thought up the plan to get me and Merlin stranded together, but you didn’t know how it could go so horribly wrong?”

“You’re responsible for this?” Merlin asked. “For us all being stranded here?”

“It wasn’t entirely my fault,” Morgana said. “I didn’t force him to tamper with the truck.”

“It’s just like when we were kids,” Arthur said, turning to Merlin. “She was always pulling pranks like this.”

“It it’s any consolation, all semester she’s been telling me how hot her brother is,” Merlin said.

“Do _not_ cut her any slack, Merlin,” Arthur warned.

“I’m not,” Merlin said. “I’m just saying that she could have tried to set us up, using less nefarious tactics, yeah?”

Arthur squeezed Merlin’s hand. He supposed Morgana could have tried to get through to him, using kinder techniques. But he feared that they may not have worked as well. Despite her convoluted plan to get him and Merlin together by insinuating that she’d pave Mordred’s way to Kara’s heart, it worked. 

A horn sounded from outside and everyone’s heads turned toward the door. Gwaine ran over door and peered out beyond the bridge. “There’s a few cars down at the shuttle stop,” he announced.

“That’s my dad!” Vivian shouted. “Thanks so much for plowing the road open, Will.”

“No problem,” Will said, as Vivian, Mithian, and Elena scurried around the common room, grabbing their belongings. “And if any of you have cars here that need to be plowed out, we’ll take care of those next, just as soon as we get these installed in Merlin’s truck.”

Everyone cheered and began to collect the belongings they had strewn around the room over the past few days.

“I wouldn’t have thought to look for missing spark plugs,” Merlin said, taking them from Will.

“Elyan’s here!” Gwen shouted. Arthur turned to watch Gwen and Lance share a kiss.

“Thanks for everything,” Lance said to Arthur.

“You’re going with her?” Arthur asked.

“We’re giving Lance a ride home,” Gwen said. “I never even knew he lived so close to me.” Arthur waved as Gwen ran out the door with Lance. He watched them scamper down the icy bridge to the shuttle stop.

“We’ll give you a hand getting to our car,” Percy told Will. “And we’ll give Leon a ride to the train station.”

“That’s great,” Will said. “Hey, Merlin, looks like we’ll be back to Ealdor right on time for your mom’s Christmas dinner.”

Merlin sadly squeezed Arthur’s hand. “I wish you could come with me,” Merlin said.

“I do, too,” Arthur said, he took both Merlin’s hands in his and kissed him softly on the lips.

Of course, you’re invited,” Merlin said. “There’s always plenty of food, but I’ll understand if you need to go home to your own family.”

Arthur looked away from Merlin’s face and found Morgana grinning at him.

“Family,” Arthur said with a huff.

“There’s my dad’s car!” Freya squealed from the doorway.

Arthur watched as Freya and Sophia loaded their travel bags with their Secret Santa gifts.

“Thanks so much for everything,” Sophia said, kissing Arthur on the cheek. “This turned out so much better than it might have.”

“Good luck to you, Sophia,” Arthur said. “And thanks for helping her out, Freya.”

As the girls left, Arthur wondered which would be more troublesome – missing Christmas with Uther, or showing up in Camelot with a boyfriend. And then, he got a better idea. There was no reason why he couldn’t do both.

“Morgana,” Arthur said. “I’m going to Ealdor with Merlin. We’ll drop you off at the train station so you can catch a ride to Camelot.”

“What? But what will I tell father?” Morgana asked. “He’ll be furious if you miss Christmas.”

“Merlin and I will ride to Camelot sometime later in the week, when it’s convenient for Merlin, since you’ve inconvenienced him enough already,” Arthur said, grasping Merlin’s hand. “And, don’t worry, that will give you plenty of time to explain to our father why we’ve been stranded here for the past few days and why I’m bringing my boyfriend home to meet him.”

Morgana scowled. “This is all your fault,” she shouted at Mordred.

“I only did it for you,” Mordred said. “I’ve been freezing my ass off in my room for the past three days.”

“Hey, Mordred,” Gwaine said. “Since it’s your fault we’ve been stranded here at Christmas, we’ve got a few jobs for you to help us with. First, we need to get this fire put out, then we need our bags brought to Will’s truck.”

“When you’re done with that,” Percy said, “you can help shovel our car out.”

“There’s plenty for you to do,” Leon said. “I suggest you get started now.”

Arthur watched the guys drag Mordred away to perform the long list of chores they had for him.

“We’d best be heading over to Merlin’s truck,” Will said.

“Yes, let’s go,” Merlin said, tugging on Arthur’s hand.

“Wait,” Arthur said. “You’re forgetting something.”

Merlin looked on curiously while Arthur scrambled around the room tearing through wrapping paper until he found what he was looking for.

“Here we go,” Arthur said. He tugged the Albion University hat over Merlin’s unruly hair.

“Better?” Merlin asked.

“Perfect,” Arthur said. He took a step back to admire Merlin’s hat. Then he kissed him again, just because he could. Arthur knew this would be the best Christmas ever.

The End


End file.
